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On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Identify appropriate sources and relevant angles for timely features for print magazines, online, TV, radio and digital media.
Demonstrate an ability to identify relevant sources and interview effectively, also identifying relevant information and direct quotes.
Produce the appropriate writing style, content and structure for magazine articles, online, TV & radio.
Work effectively in a team.
Demonstrate a proficiency in accurate and comprehensive note-taking.
Assess their level of preparedness for employability and the working world.
Demonstrate a basic competence in radio and television editorial production, location sound recording and editing.
This module provides the basic building blocks of magazine writing and content for different platforms. Students will learn how features are sourced, how to assess and evaluate different types of sources and how to use information to write articles for print and online. They will learn and practice journalistic interviewing techniques. The sessions will be partly classroom-based workshops but will include a lot of live reporting and students will build a portfolio covering key skills. This module cumulates in a challenging news production project in semester 3. There will be an ethos of preparing for the real-life world of work.
As part of this module, students will embark on intensive training in fast note taking using the journalism industry standard shorthand,Teeline, and be required to work towards a speed of 80-100 wpm.
This module is taught via a series of interactive workshops which use innovative and creative teaching methods in order to foster student engagement and develop practical skills. We will use some formal taught material, discussion, real-life scenarios in class, practising writing from prepared and real-life material and using online and social media platforms. The focus is on student-centred practice, using a broad range of simulated and live news exercises which allow the cohort to use their practical skills in safe environment where they benefit from tutor feedback and mentoring on an on-going basis. Formative feedback will be a high priority throughout semesters 1 & 2.
News workshops / supervision
Contact hours: 80
Intended Group size: 25
Shorthand
Contact hours: 112
Intended group size: 25
News Production
Contact hours: 40
Intended Group size: 10 - 25
Guided independent study
Hours: 368
Portfolio 1 will typically include four assessed tasks, with briefings given a key points in Semester 1 and Semester 2.
Portfolio 2 will normally include live news production in groups teams, professional skills development, along with critical reflection and action planning.
Directed activities: these consist of weekly tasks that must be completed and submitted for inspection at timetabled sessions each week. The assessment will be assessed on a pass/fail basis with a pass requiring at least 75% of all weekly tasks to be completed successfully. A pass will lead to the full award of 10% towards the final module mark. A fail in directed activities will contribute 0% to the final mark.
Students are required to submit for all forms of assessment to pass this module.
The teaching of Teeline Shorthand is informed by professional expectations in industry that all trainee journalists learn shorthand. Students must show serious engagement with this element of the module. This will be measured by attendance at sessions, the requirement to submit four transcribed practice passages via Moodle during the course of Semester 1 and the need to make a serious attempt at examination at a speed of at least 50wpm. Students do not make a serious attempt at assessment will not pass the module and, therefore, will not progress to the next level.
Students will be assessed via NCTJ shorthand examinations.
Shorthand is one of the core examinations in the NCTJ Diploma and students MUST obtain shorthand at a speed of at least 80wpm in order to be eligible for the NCTJ Diploma.
Other relevant matters
The highest attained level of Shorthand is to be recorded on the student’s transcript and each stage is progressional from the last.
001 Portfolio 1 - 6000 word equiv during sem 1 & 2 40%
002 Directed activities Throughout the year 10%
003 Shorthand - attended but no wpm attained during/end of sem 2 0%
004 Shorthand speed test - 50wpm attained during/end of sem 2 0%
005 Shorthand speed test - 60wpm attained during/end of sem 2 0%
006 Shorthand speed test - 70wpm attained during/end of sem 2 0%
007 Shorthand speed test - 80wpm attained during/end of sem 2 0%
008 Shorthand speed test - 90wpm attained during/end of sem 2 0%
009 Shorthand speed test - 100wpm attained during/end of sem 2 0%
010 Portfolio 2 - 6000 word equivalent during/end of semester 2 50%
Module Coordinator - Amy Lund
Level - 4
Credit Value - 60
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4YL
