The Writing and Journalism Workshop is one of the training activities of the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences, which has as its general objective a critical understanding of issues and problems relating to information and the current development of the media.
As part of this course, the workshop aims to provide direct experience of contemporary journalistic work through the creation of a simulated newsroom. Organised in groups, students will be able to put into practice the theoretical notions acquired and use case studies to design and produce news articles, surveys, reports, interviews and reviews. The workshop will also enable them to interact with professionals in the sector who will be invited to discuss specific topics in depth.
At the end of the workshop students will have acquired the necessary basis to critically evaluate information and sources, and to produce journalistic materials of different types.
As part of this course, the workshop aims to provide direct experience of contemporary journalistic work through the creation of a simulated newsroom. Organised in groups, students will be able to put into practice the theoretical notions acquired and use case studies to design and produce news articles, surveys, reports, interviews and reviews. The workshop will also enable them to interact with professionals in the sector who will be invited to discuss specific topics in depth.
At the end of the workshop students will have acquired the necessary basis to critically evaluate information and sources, and to produce journalistic materials of different types.
teacher profile teaching materials
1) Immigration; 2) Gender Equality; 3) The Situation of Prisons.
All students are required to form working groups that will carry out practical exercises included in each lesson and complete a final project consisting of a journalistic piece (investigation, reportage, interview) on one of the three lab themes.
Throughout the laboratory, experienced journalists specializing in different fields of the profession will participate.
Main Topics and Activities
1. Facts, news, and reporting (definitions and examples), newsworthiness, how news is constructed.
2. Speed and duration: hard, soft, breaking, and slow news.
3. Multiplication of sources and verification tools; rights and duties of journalists.
4. Investigative reporting and reportage.
5. The interview.
6. Around and beyond current events: commentary and columns.
7. Forms and styles of written journalism: print and web.
8. Doing journalism with images: photography, video, television, Instagram.
9. Doing journalism with voice: podcasting, audio series, radio.
10. Group discussion and analysis of final projects: Immigration.
11. Group discussion and analysis of final projects: Gender Equality.
12. Group discussion and analysis of final projects: The Situation of Prisons.
Francesca Cicculli and Stefania Prandi, _Agro Punjab. Lo sfruttamento dei sikh nelle campagne di Latina_, Nottetempo, 2024.
Gender Equality
Emanuela Griglié and Guido Romeo, _Maschiocrazia. Perché il potere ha un genere solo (e come cambiare)_, Codice, 2024.
The Situation of Prisons
Raffaella Di Rosa, _Vite minori. Storie vere di ragazzi dietro le sbarre_, Il Millimetro, 2025.
Programme
In parallel with an analysis of the essential elements of contemporary journalism, the program includes an in-depth exploration of the three main themes that will be the focus of the laboratory’s activity in 2025-2026:1) Immigration; 2) Gender Equality; 3) The Situation of Prisons.
All students are required to form working groups that will carry out practical exercises included in each lesson and complete a final project consisting of a journalistic piece (investigation, reportage, interview) on one of the three lab themes.
Throughout the laboratory, experienced journalists specializing in different fields of the profession will participate.
Main Topics and Activities
1. Facts, news, and reporting (definitions and examples), newsworthiness, how news is constructed.
2. Speed and duration: hard, soft, breaking, and slow news.
3. Multiplication of sources and verification tools; rights and duties of journalists.
4. Investigative reporting and reportage.
5. The interview.
6. Around and beyond current events: commentary and columns.
7. Forms and styles of written journalism: print and web.
8. Doing journalism with images: photography, video, television, Instagram.
9. Doing journalism with voice: podcasting, audio series, radio.
10. Group discussion and analysis of final projects: Immigration.
11. Group discussion and analysis of final projects: Gender Equality.
12. Group discussion and analysis of final projects: The Situation of Prisons.
Core Documentation
ImmigrationFrancesca Cicculli and Stefania Prandi, _Agro Punjab. Lo sfruttamento dei sikh nelle campagne di Latina_, Nottetempo, 2024.
Gender Equality
Emanuela Griglié and Guido Romeo, _Maschiocrazia. Perché il potere ha un genere solo (e come cambiare)_, Codice, 2024.
The Situation of Prisons
Raffaella Di Rosa, _Vite minori. Storie vere di ragazzi dietro le sbarre_, Il Millimetro, 2025.
Reference Bibliography
Claudio Giunta, _Come non scrivere_, Utet 2018.Attendance
Since this is a laboratory course, attendance is strongly recommended as each lesson includes practical exercises. Students who are unable to attend in person have the opportunity to follow the lessons remotely or asynchronously, thanks to the recordings. Important: since the evaluation takes place continuously, that is, during the course, based on the exercises and the final group project, all students—whether attending regularly or not—are required to join working groups and participate in the group exercises scheduled in the program. Without this participation, the final eligibility cannot be granted.Type of evaluation
The evaluation of eligibility will be ongoing and will be based on the group exercises completed during the course as well as the final group projects, presented as journalistic products. For this reason, there will be no written or oral exams at the end of the laboratory. Students must still register for the exam sessions to enable the recording of their eligibility