Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Extra courses intended for exchange students (Erasmus, ...) (Faculty of Philosophy and Letters) | 2 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
"The Communication course (AA) focuses on mainstream media (print and audiovisual press) and alternative media. It aims to make students understand to what extent the choice of vocabulary, the selection of information presented to the public (choice of interviewees, topics, etc.), the hierarchy of information, and so on, are essential elements of an ideological vision of society.
After a general overview of the main Belgian and French mainstream media (print and audiovisual press) and the press groups to which they belong, the student will be confronted with articles or audiovisual excerpts dealing with the same subject but conveying very specific ideological visions.
The student will be led to analyze a current event by examining the discourse of both mainstream and alternative media. They will take into account their political positioning (left vs. right, center, etc.).
Detailed explanations will be provided during the course.
Based on Ignacio Ramonet's book, Propagandes silencieuses (Silent Propaganda), and Mona Chollet's, Beauté fatale (Fatal Beauty), the instructor will also propose an analysis of audiovisual sequences (film trailers, excerpts from series or shows) to demonstrate the values that constitute silent propaganda.
Students are required to follow national and international news by reading daily newspapers such as Le Monde, Le Monde diplomatique, and Le Soir.
A portion of the course will be dedicated to student oral presentations on recent current events (less than two years old). These presentations should highlight the student's creativity, critical thinking, and analytical skills."
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The student will be able to analyze a newspaper article or a TV news segment, taking into account the ideological component of the media.
They will be able to identify the values inherent in silent propaganda (cf. Ignacio Ramonet) in a TV news segment or any other audiovisual sequence (entertainment show, news program, etc.), to extract them, and to put them into perspective. They will be able to perform the same type of work for any written text.
They will be able to conduct a rigorous and relevant comparative analysis of articles published in different daily newspapers. They will be able to identify their editorial lines and provide an ad hoc argument to support their point.
They will be able to speak in public and communicate orally in a clear and pleasant manner.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
It is highly recommended to take the Writing Techniques course (block 2) in parallel, as this Communication course involves the writing of a portfolio according to the standards covered in the TDR course.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
In-person teaching, with personalized supervision during certain sessions.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Duration and Period: 30 hours in the 2nd semester (Q2).
Schedule and Location: Mondays, from 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. The classroom will be specified by the end of January at the latest.
Learning and Teaching Methods: Several parts of the course require students to have a certain amount of personal investment outside of class hours. Based on theoretical concepts with a practical purpose, the teaching values student participation, group interactions, and personal involvement.
For exceptional reasons, some course sessions may be held remotely on TEAMS.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- MyULiège
Further information:
Course Materials:
- Course notes (texts, exercises, and theoretical information).
- Mona CHOLLET, Beauté fatale (Fatal Beauty), Paris, La Découverte, 2015.
- Frédéric MARTEL, Mainstream. Enquête sur la guerre globale de la culture et des médias (Mainstream. An investigation into the global war of culture and media). Paris, Flammarion, 2020.
- Ignacio RAMONET, Propagandes silencieuses (Silent Propaganda), Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 2004.
- Jean-François RUFFIN, Les petits soldats du journalisme (The Little Soldiers of Journalism), Paris, Hachette Pluriel Reference, 2018.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
- Remote
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
Written work / report
Further information:
This teaching unit is subject to the absorbing grade principle, which means that if a grade below 8/20 is awarded for one of the learning activities (AA), it becomes the overall grade for the UE. Only the exam for the failed AA will be retaken in the second session.
Only grades with a decimal of 0.8 or 0.9 will be rounded up to the next whole number. For example, a grade of 7.6/20 will not be rounded to 8/20.
June Session
In June, the AA grade is based on the student's oral presentation and the written report, provided that the student meets the two conditions specified below (12/20 and attendance at a minimum of 70% of classes). The written report, which is MANDATORY, will result in a grade of +1 or +2 /0/-1 or -2. Deadline for submission: the same day as the oral presentation to the class. The work must be fully typed and submitted in person to the instructor and sent by email on the same day before midnight.
Declared use of AI: If the student uses artificial intelligence, they must declare its use in the introduction of their work, mentioning the type of help requested (rephrasing, synthesis, analysis, brainstorming, linguistic correction, document search, etc.). Weighting: 50% for the oral presentation and written report [1] and 50% for the written exam.
Procedure in case of suspicion
- In case of suspicion of unauthorized use of AI, the instructor reserves the right to summon the student to an oral exam, the grade of which will constitute the final grade. This exam will solely aim to verify knowledge of the subject with the unique purpose of ruling out the unauthorized use of a generative AI. The time slot for this potential oral exam will be announced in the exam schedule. The student concerned will be notified as early as possible and no later than 48 hours before the exam. If the oral exam confirms the instructor's suspicion, a grade of "F" may be assigned to the student in accordance with the provisions of the RGEE, with the possible initiation of a disciplinary procedure. If the instructor's suspicion cannot be confirmed or if a doubt remains, the standard grading system will be applied.
If the student obtains a grade of 12/20 or higher for their project AND can demonstrate a minimum of 70% attendance and participation in classes*, they will be exempt from taking the written exam. If only one of these conditions is not met, the student will not be exempt from taking the written exam, which is organized during the session.
*Any absence, even if justified by a medical certificate, will be counted as such.
The exam may include:
- open-ended or multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on the reference essay chosen during the oral course,
- open-ended or multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on the oral presentations during the course and on the discussions after the presentations.
- Students might also be asked to perform a comparison of newspaper articles or an analysis of an audiovisual sequence.
In September, the AA grade will be based solely on the written exam.
The AA counts for 2 ECTS within the "Literature, communication" UE (5 ECTS).
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
faneven@ulg.ac.be
Association of one or more MOOCs
Items online
Courses notes
Newspapers in Wallonia and Brussels