Media narratives and conflicts

Media have long played a central role in shaping how societies understand conflicts. For much of the 20th century, traditional media—newspapers, radio, and television—promoted particular narratives that served the interests of states, political leaders, and corporations.

With the advent of digital platforms and social media, the media landscape has been transformed, altering how narratives are produced and shared. Meanwhile, citizen journalism has expanded globally, redefining the role of ordinary people in conflict reporting and challenging the traditional dominance of governments as primary sources of information.

The course examines how various media promote simplified narratives of conflict and explores their effects on perceptions and conflict dynamics. It combines the reading of theoretical texts (e.g., Walter Benjamin, Susan Sontag, Jean Baudrillard, among others) with the analysis of both historical and contemporary conflicts, including representations in film and television series, with a focus on conflicts such as the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The course provides students with the analytical tools to examine how different media represent conflicts, and to assess how media and institutional  narratives shape perceptions and influence the dynamics of conflicts. 

In presenza

The course is participatory, structured around formal face-to-face lessons and in-class activities, including group or individual presentations and discussions. A comprehensive bibliography will be provided at the beginning of the course.

The final assessment will consist of a written exam (70%), group or individual presentations (20%), and class participation (10%).

A bibliography, filmography, and list of readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.