The role of the media in society: the effects of responsible and irresponsible journalism on the public

Course programme

You are welcome to arrive at any time during the morning, but please note that you will only be able to check in to bedrooms after lunch. The reception team are happy to assist in storing your bags.

Tuesday

12:00 Lunch
13:30 How much does the media influence us?
15:30 Tea
16:00 Why good news doesn't sell
18:00 Free
18:30 Dinner
21:30 Terrace bar open for informal discussion

Wednesday

07:30 Breakfast
10:00 Quality journalism: do people want information or entertainment?
12:00 Lunch
13:30 From print to online news: are we better informed now?
15:30 Close

Tutor

Dr Sonia Parratt was awarded a European PhD in Journalism by the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). She is currently a full time professor at the Faculty of Information Sciences at Complutense University of Madrid, where she teaches on subjects related to news writing. Although her general area of expertise is news writing and reporting, she is also specialised in environmental journalism, since she worked as an environmental journalist before taking up her academic career. Her interest in making connections with foreign universities began when she spent an academic year at the University Nova de Lisboa (Portugal), under the EU Erasmus programme. Later on she did some research at Southampton Institute (UK) in order to complete her doctorate. Since then, she has given lectures at Cornell University (USA), Southampton Institute, University of La Sapienza (Italy), and University of Faro (Portugal). Her areas of research include journalistic genres, the analysis of the contents of the press, literary journalism, and environmental journalism.

No academic qualification is required of applicants, and most courses are suitable for students who are new to the subject.

All teaching is in English (unless a foreign-language course). If your first language is not English, you need to satisfy yourself that you have the required near-native command of the language to get the maximum benefit from studying with ICE.

A booklist, course syllabus and detailed timetable are circulated as far as possible in advance of a course. You will receive these documents by email if you have provided us with your email address; please check your spam folder if you have not received these documents. You can also download material from the course web page.

About Madingley Hall

Madingley Hall itself is an impressive manor house dating back to the mid-16th century. The decoration of the Saloon and the formal Stair Hall was carried out 200 years later, and the whole fabric was renovated with great care around 1900. About four miles from the centre of Cambridge, the Hall stands in several acres of beautifully-maintained gardens and overlooks a landscape which has changed relatively little since it was laid out by Capability Brown. It is just four miles from the centre of Cambridge, and only 60 minutes from London, with excellent links to London airports.

Directions to Madingley Hall