JOU5912 - Journalism in Context

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate the development of their knowledge and understanding of key theoretical approaches to critiquing and analysing the factors that affect journalism
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of academic research techniques
Develop skills in the use and application of research techniques
Apply knowledge and understanding of journalism studies to a research proposal
Apply research skills acquired to a research proposal

Content:

Building on knowledge and understanding of the development of journalism and contemporary debates and issues in journalism studied at L4 in Journalism in Society, this module examines journalism studies in more depth and detail, introducing students to important theories and concepts in journalism studies about how news is constructed and presented, the wider, often less visible, influences on journalism (for example, structural or ideological), and the subsequent effects on the news and journalism that audiences receive. As part of this, the module will look at seminal studies and abstract concepts in the field, for example, primary definition, moral panics, and the propaganda model. In addition, students are also introduced to different approaches to carrying out media research and to apply their acquired knowledge of both theory and research techniques in an appropriate and relevant way to a research proposal, which will be used as the basis for a research project at L6 or the project for the Professional Learning Through Work module.

Learning and Teaching Information:

This module is taught via a series of interactive lectures and seminars which student participation is encourage and where active learning is centred around application of research techniques to journalism-related theory and subject areas.

Lectures
Contact hours: 20
Intended group size: Full cohort

Seminars
Contact hours: 20
Intended Group size: 20

Guided independent study
Hours: 160

Further details relating to assessment
The two assessments work in sequence.
Poster presentation: students consider a series of themes and topics associated with contemporary journalism. These include ownership, dumbing down, public service, impartiality, naming and shaming, the rise of PR, online news and so on. For the first assessment, students must choose one of these topics and then develop it in terms of the central debate and some examples.
Research Proposal: students are taught research methods with the second assessment adding a research plan to the existing topic chosen in Semester 1, culminating in a research project proposal.

Assessment:

001 Poster presentation 1 x 2,000-word equivalent During Semester 2 50%
002 Research proposal 1 x 2,000 words End of Semester 2 50%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Carolyn Jackson-brown
Level - 5
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5YL

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