Course 2026-2027 a.y.

1. Public opinion and democratic theory.
2. The economics and politics of mass media
3. Social media and political communication
4. The political role of the media in democracies and autocracies
5. The political position of mass media outlets: measurement and determinants
6. The persuasion effects of the media: agenda-setting, framing and priming
7. Empirical analysis of campaign effects
8. Interest groups offline and online
9. The economics and politics of fake news

• Describe the main theories of public opinion formation and their relevance to democratic governance.
• Illustrate the economic and political foundations of media markets, including market structure and regulation.
• Explain how social media platforms mediate political communication and alter the flow of political information.
• Distinguish the political functions of media in democratic and authoritarian regimes.
• Conceptualize the ideological positioning of media outlets and the methods used to measure those positions, in order to assess their determinants.
• Explain and evaluate how the media influence political attitudes and public opinion through agenda-setting, framing, and priming effects
• Describe the main findings and methods used in the empirical analysis of campaign effects.
• Define the role of interest groups in both offline and online political environments.
• Explain the economic and political dynamics behind the production and dissemination of fake news.

• Analyze how different media environments affect democratic accountability and political participation.
• Compare the political role of media across democratic and authoritarian regimes.
• Assess the credibility and political implications of media content, including fake news and strategic messaging.
• Apply basic tools of empirical analysis to real-world cases of political communication and media bias.
• Interpret empirical findings related to campaign effects, polarization, and media influence on public opinion.
• Relate theoretical concepts to current developments in social media and political communication.

• Lectures

Lectures are the primary teaching method, focusing on key theoretical frameworks and, above all, on empirical research that illustrates and tests these concepts.

Assessment is based either on two partial written examinations, each accounting for 50% of the final grade, or on a single comprehensive written examination accounting for 100% of the final grade.

The examinations consist of open-ended and/or analytical questions covering the topics discussed during the course. They are designed to assess students' knowledge and understanding of the main theoretical concepts and empirical findings presented in the course, their ability to apply economic and political economy frameworks to the analysis of relevant issues, and their capacity to develop coherent and well-argued responses using appropriate concepts, evidence, and terminology. The assessment methods therefore verify the achievement of the expected learning outcomes in terms of knowledge acquisition, analytical skills, and critical reasoning abilities.

Slides and papers discussed during lectures. Both attending and non-attending students can access this material on the Blackboard page of the course.