The course aims to provide students with theoretical and practical skills on public communication today, in the context of the digital society, with particular attention to the field of institutional and social communication in which public organizations and non-profit organizations are protagonists (in the case of social communication, even for profit-oriented companies).

Specifically, the theoretical skills concern the knowledge of principles, models and areas of intervention of public institutional and social communication inspired by recent national and international literature, as well as the knowledge of the main strategic approaches and the effective use of institutional communication tools, traditional and digital by public administrations to communicate with the citizens, individuals and associates. These objectives will also be achieved with the analysis of some Italian and international best practices.

The knowledge that students will acquire during the course is now considered essential to be able to perform the profession of public communicator (or specialist of institutional communication) in the public sector or in the third sector (no-profit), as well as to deal with the social responsibility communication in profit companies.

The topics that will be addressed during the course are the following ones:

General part:

a) Definition, areas of intervention and models of public communication today (with signs of its evolution starting from the Nineties).

b) Strategies and tools of institutional communication adopted by public organizations to inform, dialogue with citizens and make them participants in the actions of public institutions: information and communication activities on and offline carried out by institutions through the use of multiple communication methods, according to an approach of integrated and multi-channel communication.

In addition to the traditional lectures, some thematic seminars will be held (especially on the monographic part of the course) and group work in the classroom coordinated by the teacher in charge of the course.

c) Definition, subjects and objects of social communication, aimed at promoting ideas, attitudes, behaviors of significant social interest (social problems). Strategies and tools adopted in the digital age by public organizations, no-profit organizations and profit-oriented organizaions to create social partners on issues such as environment, health, safety, etc.

Monographic part on:

1 - Health communication, with particular attention to the use of social media by health organizations (with particular attention to the pandemic crisis due to Covid-19)

2 - Europe's public communication and digital media: ways in which the European institutions communicate with citizens today; role played by digital media and forms of citizen participation in the community space.

In addition to the traditional frontal lessons, some thematic seminars will be held (especially on the monographic part of the course) and group work in the classroom coordinated by the professor.

Students must achieve:
1. Knowledge and understanding: of the concepts and theories provided by the course (relating to public institutional and social communication) through the acquisition of theoretical-practical skills on strategies and effective communication tools that public administrations and non-profit organizations they can adopt in order to achieve the institutional and social objectives that the organization sets itself.
1.1. Students achieve this basic knowledge by attending lectures and studying the texts discussed in the classroom.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: through the ability to analyze the strategies and activities promoted by public administrations and non-profit organizations.
2.1. Skills acquired through moments of laboratory practice in the classroom.
3. Judgment skills: critical reflection on the ongoing changes at a theoretical and empirical level in public institutional and social communication.
3.1. This judgment must be applied in the classroom comparison with the teacher and colleagues, during the exercises and in the preparation of the final exam.
4. Communication skills: students are asked to interact in the classroom through questions, exchanges with fellow students, writing short presentations during the exercise phase.
4.1. Ability that is exercised in the classroom with the organization of moments of discussion and practice.
5. Learning skills: students are required to adopt a critical learning method capable of connecting theoretical skills and empirical analysis, orienting themselves towards the specification of an autonomous thought.
5.1. Ability to be strengthened thanks to the argument with the teacher and the other students.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Lectures and work groups in presence and remotely.

Attendance

It will be a compulsory attendance 50% of the lesson time.

Course books

Luoma-aho V. and Canel M.J. (eds.) (2020), The Handbook of Public Sector Communication, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken NJ USA.

Ducci G., Materassi L and Solito L. (2020), Re-connetcting Scholars' voices. An historical review of public communiation in Italy and new challenges in the open government framewrok, Partecipazione e Conflitto (Participation and Conflict) - open access journal, in press (july 2020). 

D'Ambrosi L. and Maresi A. (eds.) (2013), Communicating Europe in Italy. Shortcomings and opportunities, Eum, Macerata.

Lee N.R. and Kotler P. (eds.) (2016), Social Marketing: Changing Behaviors for Good, SAGE Publications Inc.

Assessment

Oral examinaion

The verification will be through individual interview based on textbooks, aimed at assessing the learning content by the student and his reworking skills and argumentation.

Assessment criteria:

For excellent assessments: possession of good critical thinking skills and in-depth by the student; knowing how to link together the main issues addressed in the course; the use of appropriate language with respect to the specificity of the discipline.

For discrete assessments: possession of a mnemonic knowledge of the contents by the student; a relative critical and linking the topics: the use of appropriate language.

For sufficient assessments: the achievement of a wealth of minimal knowledge on the topics covered by the student, despite some training gaps; the use of inappropriate language.

For negative assessments: difficulties of orientation by the student with respect to the issues addressed in the exam papers; training gaps; the use of an inappropriate language ".

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Study of the course books.

Course books

Luoma-aho V. and Canel M.J. (eds.) (2020), The Handbook of Public Sector Communication, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken NJ USA.

Ducci G., Materassi L and Solito L. (2020), Re-connetcting Scholars' voices. An historical review of public communiation in Italy and new challenges in the open government framewrok, Partecipazione e Conflitto (Participation and Conflict) - open access journal, in press (july 2020). 

D'Ambrosi L. and Maresi A. (eds.) (2013), Communicating Europe in Italy. Shortcomings and opportunities, Eum, Macerata.

Lee N.R. and Kotler P. (eds.) (2016), Social Marketing: Changing Behaviors for Good, SAGE Publications Inc.

Assessment

Oral examinaion

The verification will be through individual interview based on textbooks, aimed at assessing the learning content by the student and his reworking skills and argumentation.

Assessment criteria:

For excellent assessments: possession of good critical thinking skills and in-depth by the student; knowing how to link together the main issues addressed in the course; the use of appropriate language with respect to the specificity of the discipline.

For discrete assessments: possession of a mnemonic knowledge of the contents by the student; a relative critical and linking the topics: the use of appropriate language.

For sufficient assessments: the achievement of a wealth of minimal knowledge on the topics covered by the student, despite some training gaps; the use of inappropriate language.

For negative assessments: difficulties of orientation by the student with respect to the issues addressed in the exam papers; training gaps; the use of an inappropriate language ".

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.