Fourth Edition Starting Early 2025
The Executive Course in Food and Wine Journalism. “Il Cotto e il Crudo: Telling the Story of Food Today,”* organized by the Master’s in Journalism and Multimedia Communication in collaboration with Luiss Data Lab, prepares students for a global perspective on food and wine culture and communication. The syllabus covers the history and anthropology of gastronomy, food knowledge, the basics of Italian and international cuisine, elements of sensory analysis, and tasting practices. Training is complemented by specific modules focused on food writing and web communication.
The course targets future professionals and those seeking advanced training in food and wine journalism and communication, as well as those looking to specialize further in the field and develop a network of relationships and contacts.
Led by Eleonora Cozzella, director of Il Gusto, journalist and food critic for the GEDI Group (la Repubblica/La Stampa), chairwoman of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and a top social media communicator, the course features renowned chefs, sommeliers, critics, journalists, and scientists. During the first two editions, guest speakers included chefs like Cristina Bowerman and Cristiano Tomei, restaurateurs like Alessandro Pipero, maître d’s and sommeliers like Marco Reitano, as well as food & wine journalists (including Anna Prandoni and Cinzia Benzi), social media experts (like Francesca Milano and Demis Del Monte), and many more.
Participants will acquire technical, scientific, and economic skills relevant to the food supply chain and fundamental to food writing. They will learn the basics of tasting food products, the text-based skills for narrating and commenting on food and wine, with in-depth exploration of sector-specific language.
Through lectures and interactive workshops, participants will cover key topics for promoting the world of food and wine through social media, digital communication, and visual storytelling. These include the oral history of food, anthropology, ethnological traditions, mass consumption, and new dietary choices.
The fourth edition will begin in early 2025.
The course awards a diploma upon completion and grants 8 university credits (CFU).
Dates:
The executive course takes place over six weekends, Fridays from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Module I
Roberto Bernabò, chief digital development manager of Class Editori
Module II
Guido Barendson, journalist, television host, and food guide expert
William Drew, Director of Content, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
Paolo Marchi, founder, IdentitĂ Golose
Module III
Marco Mensurati, Director, Gambero Rosso
Roberta Schira, journalist, food critic, and author
Module IV
Gabriella Morini, Professor of Chemistry
Luigi Cremona, Director, Touring Club Guides
Cristina Mercuri, wine expert, founder of Mercuri Wine Club
Module V
Chiara Maci, food influencer known as chiarainpentola
Francesca Brambilla, food photographer, Brambilla Serrani
Maddalena Fossati, Editor-in-Chief, La Cucina Italiana
Lorenzo Prattico, food influencer known as Prattquello
Tommaso Guadagni, visual journalism expert
Module VI
Featured chefs: Cristina Bowerman, Cristiano Tomei, and Michele Casadei Massari
Module Structure:
Introduction
Prepare participants with a broad perspective on the food and wine sector, capable of understanding, judging, and narrating food in an ever-evolving digital ecosystem. Topics covered include the history and anthropology of gastronomy, food knowledge, the fundamentals of Italian and international cuisine, elements of sensory analysis, and tasting practice. Specific modules will focus on the evolution of food journalism and publishing and on food writing techniques. This executive course is for future industry professionals or those seeking specialized, advanced training in food and wine journalism.
Objectives
Ecco la traduzione senza i testi in grassetto:
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The professional profiles upon completion will be able to:
– Have a training background related to the history of food and wine and its current topics.
– Possess basic technical skills in tasting and analysis.
– Have an evaluation methodology that allows them to assess both food and wine products and the broader restaurant industry.
– Possess theoretical and cultural knowledge of food and wine journalism, both digital and print.
– Develop a personal writing style through the technical-scientific skills acquired, using all the tools of food writing, with the goal of achieving depth and effectiveness in conveying information.
– Produce texts for traditional and digital food and wine publishing, ranging from the agri-food sector to tourism, from restaurants to local marketing.
– Acquire the skills to manage communication as a freelancer in businesses, events, territories, and production chains.
– Professionally and ethically interact with companies and the media.
Structure of the Modules
1. History and Origins of Food and Wine Journalism
This module focuses on an initial approach to the world of food and wine journalism, building a knowledge base of its evolution, enabling the development of food and wine journalism in harmony with the sector’s new keywords and the major challenges it faces.
– Origins and development of food and wine journalism, study of major publications and representatives, analysis of editorial styles in print publishing.
– Online journalism: exploring the main websites/guides that have represented the evolution of food and wine journalism in Italy and globally.
– Bloggers, influencers, brand ambassadors: how storytelling has changed in the digital era.
– The evolution of journalism between social platforms and AI.
Guest Speakers (TBD)
2. Guides and Awards: The New Formats of Food and Wine Publishing
This module aims to explore the evolution in recent years, highlighting the increased value of awards – from restaurants to pizzerias, both international and national – as a format that was initially secondary to some publishing groups and has now become often independent, gaining significant space in defining the restaurant ecosystem and economy.
– History of food and wine guides: from Zagat to Michelin. The Italian experiences.
– New purely digital guides, traditional media, and the production of guides (cases like Espresso, Repubblica, Corriere della Sera).
– Awards vs. guides: a new model and different relevance. The case of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
– The impact of awards and guides on the fine dining restaurant business and beyond.
Guest Speakers (TBD)
3. Narrating and Telling the Story of Food: Writing Workshop
This technical-practical workshop aims to promote and encourage the development of a personal narrative style and vision. The module will allow participants to acquire the skills and textual abilities that will be enhanced and tested through the production of texts in various styles and aimed at different audiences.
All tools of food writing, the professional writing technique that combines multiple journalistic genres, will be developed to tell the story of food creatively, synesthetically, and engagingly.
– Case study analysis
– The importance of research and documentation
– Sector-specific terminology: identifying the fundamentals of recognized language
– Core objectives of a food writer: originality and engagement ability
– Working within different informational segments: food and wine criticism, reportage, interviews, investigations
– Key action areas: from print to complex digital publishing, following language and format evolution on social platforms
– How to find one’s writing style and adapt to the media
TESTIMONIALS (TBD)
4_Taste Science Workshop (Tasting)
Using the senses to explore and recognize foods: this module provides technical criteria suitable for evaluating foods and their preparation methods. The program’s training pays special attention to the storytelling of criteria used in food descriptions within food writing. This module includes on-site workshops where tools provided during the course will be practiced.
– Scientific skills in food and wine journalism: senses, emotion, memory
– Research and sensory analysis: applied visual, olfactory, and taste analysis
– Food science basics, with reference to food cooking techniques
– Basics of enology
– Guide to tasting products, dishes, and cooking styles
– Food and wine criticism: the fundamentals of product, restaurant, and wine reviews
– Stories and examples of tasting iconic Italian cuisine dishes and products. The evolution of recipes and flavors
TESTIMONIALS (TBD)
5_Becoming a 3.0 Food Informer
Focusing on the importance of having a personal brand identity and how to develop and enhance it across digital platforms. Participants will learn the skills needed to create content appropriately for different media.
– Web, social media, new platforms
– Writing for the web with an SEO approach
– Differences in journalistic content creation for various distribution platforms (print, web, audio, video, etc.)
– Basic skills: online food and wine communication
– Online content creation
– Food photography in publishing and the web
– Visual journalism
– Newsletters, podcasts, videos, and other digital formats
– Trends and new scenarios: the evolution of food journalism
TESTIMONIALS (TBD)
6_Challenges in Contemporary Dining
A focus on restaurant perspectives and major dilemmas: sustainability, inclusion, diversity, new organizational models. Participants will gain skills to understand restaurant evolution and thus have the tools to capture the main evidence in food journalism.
– Sustainability as a founding value of the producer-restaurateur chain; development of the production network
– Evolution of the fine dining business model: second lines, collaborations with funds, consulting, catering, teaching
– New dining models, brand awareness, customer relations: the importance of social media presence and communication management
– Inclusion, diversity, and social, environmental, and economic sustainability: from U.S. experiences to trends involving Italian dining
Delivery Method
The executive course is held in person in Rome at the School of Journalism, Luiss campus at Viale Pola 12. For those unable to attend physically, lectures are streamed live on the Webex platform.
Application and Participation
Those holding a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, a degree from the old system, or any equivalent university qualification obtained abroad can participate in the selection process for the Executive Course. Admission to the Executive Course is subject to a positive evaluation of the candidate’s curriculum.
The course has limited enrollment.
To participate in the admission procedures, it is necessary to fill out the online application form and attach the following documents:
Curriculum vitae.
Copia del documento di identitĂ .
Certificato o autocertificazione della laurea.
La quota di iscrizione è pari a 1.600,00 Euro da versare in un’unica soluzione.
LUISS alumni, including those from postgraduate programs, will receive a 10% discount on the registration fee.
More information
For further information about the course, you can contact the Secretariat at the email: CORSIEXECUTIVE@LUISS.IT