Corporate communication in times of pandemic. Simulation of an online press event with journalism students

Abstract

Social restrictions as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic have led to the organization of virtual press events, where technological applications make up for the impossibility of face-to-face contact. These changes in work procedures and in the transmission of messages force professionals in the sector to adapt and learn, which must also be reviewed in the Communication faculties. In this context, this work describes and evaluates a teaching experience based on the simulation of an online press event with students of the degree in Journalism. Using a double methodology: participant observation and a quantitative study of perceptions, the results conclude that it is a project-based practice, where students are involved in their own learning. And in this sense, they indicate that they have improved their skills in aspects such as writing journalistic texts, public speaking, searching for information on the Internet or the use of ICT. In the context of the implications, it should be said that this project can serve as inspiration for those teachers who wish to innovate, through activities with real projection, in the teaching of future informants.