JOU5982 - Practical Journalism 2: Sports Writing

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate a critical understanding of sports writing/reporting and the relationship between theory and practice
Critically evaluate the informing and commentating function of sports writing/reporting
Demonstrate the ability to generate, develop and research ideas
Apply written and online practical journalism skills within a sporting context
Demonstrate knowledge of a content management system and skills in the creation of online content according to established guidelines of best professional practice

Content:

Students will examine key areas of Sports Writing, including previews, match reports, reviews, profiles and columns through formative and summative practical exercises in class in both semesters. The practical work wil be set within the context of sports reporting issues, including sources in the sports industry and the role of the internet in terms of both research and publication.
Students will be introduced to the practicalities of layout using industry standard software and the latter part of Semester 2 will include a six week block where the entire Level 2 cohort (Specialist Reporting and Sports Writing) will combine to lay out some of their written work (as individuals) on QuarkXpress.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Workshops
Contact hours: 40
Intended Group size: 30

Guided independent study
Hours) 160

Additional assessment information
Portfolio 1 would normally include 3x500 words original sports stories covering a single sports event (a preview, match report and a post-match blog posting – on Moodle - covering the same event) plus a 1x500 words reflective report

Portfolio 2 would normally include 1x750 words original specialist article, 3x250 words sidebars to support the main piece, all presented in the form of a newspaper/magazine layout done in QuarkXpress over a maximum of 2xA4 pages plus a 1x500 word reflective report. The 2xA4 pages should resemble a newspaper/magazine and should be complete with original headlines, copyright-free images, captions and sub-edited text.

Note
Note: Over the course of five taught sessions in semester 2, students will receive homework that must be submitted in class that will be vital for the successful completion of the module. This includes a range of exercises linked to the module objectives. In order to ensure that students engage fully during these sessions, they receive 2 marks for every class attended (see weighting above).

If for any VALID reason students are unable to attend class, they must contact tutors to avoid losing vital marks at this stage.

Assessment:

001 Portfolio 1 (coursework) 1x 2,000 words equiv Semester 1 (throughout Nov & Dec) 50%
002 Portfolio 2 (coursework) 1x 2,000 words equiv end of Semester 2 40%
003 Marks for in-class assessments/attendance at five practical online sessions in semester 2 2marks per session 10%


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