Educational offer - University of Padova

Syllabus

Prerequisites:	Students must have some knowledge of the history and of the technical evolution of the photographic world as well as a good knowledge of the main historical events of the recent past which went on with the development of photography from its invention till now.
Target skills and knowledge:	knowledge: The development of the genre from the first reporting applications to the latest use in electronic publishing. (The precursors and the birth of the genre) The organization of the reportages and the distribution of the images. (The photographic construction of the world and the "recognition universes") The main photo agencies and their specific characteristics. (From photojournalist to global editor: the market of images in the WEB) "Freelancer" and "embedded": The new role of the photojournalist. (The war in the photographer's viewfinder) Some key concepts for the photographic image decoding (Behind the camera: the deconstruction of the image) skill: Designing a photojournalistic service supporting a text with images Selecting images according to specific communicative goals Decoding and deconstructing an image Evaluating critically a campaign /a communicative strategy
Examination methods:	There will be an oral exam. Candidates attending the course will be allowed to start presenting a personal work agreed upon with the professor.
Assessment criteria:	Criteria of evaluation: Knowledge of the topics Personal study Critical and analytical skills Operative autonomy
Course unit contents:	The course aims to approach students to a critical understanding of the history of photojournalism through the analysis of the most recognized shapes and personalities that have marked the evolution of photographic representation in the journalistic communication. Starting with some reflections on the characteristics of photographic representation, the course will lead the student to the heart of the current debate that links information and ideology, technique and aesthetics, political and historical truth with the use of journalistic images. Born to inform, to witness and denounce, the journalistic image now produces more ejection rather than indignation, more addiction rather than participation, more acquittal rather than condemnation. On the basis of these considerations, the course will analyze some examples of the most recent conflicts to understand how images have taken on a new role, creating a parallel scenario that nowadays we use to call "the war of images".
Planned learning activities and teaching methods:	Activities of learning and methodologies of teaching: Lectures Vision of photographic repertoires Vision of video interviews and documentaries Archive research Laboratory for the realization of a personal portfolio
Additional notes about suggested reading:	The reference texts for the study are reported in the below bibliography, any handouts will be provided directly by the professor in the classroom. At the end of the course the lecturer will make accessible all the visual materials presented during the course.
Textbooks (and optional supplementary readings)	John Tulloch, R. Warwick Blood, Icons of War and Terror. Media images in an Age of International Risk.. London: Routledge, 2012. William J. T. Mitchell, Cloning Terror: the war of images, 9/11 to the present.. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011.