Course Catalogue

To develop an active interest in international journalism and to guide students towards a critical and historical understanding of the journalism industry To develop an understanding of the theoretical and practical implications of global journalism practices and state-press relations in authoritarian, non-Western and/or non-liberal regimes as well as in democratic societies. To facilitate students’ understanding and knowledge of journalism practice in the media of text-based and broadcast journalism. To promote the development of graduates who are critical independent thinkers possessing a range of transferable skills; particularly in the areas of team-working, organisational ability and communications. To develop students’ journalism skills in text-based and broadcast media. To develop the intellectual skills of effective communication and research through media technologies To encourage students to engage with the development of employability skills by completing a self-awareness statement.

As International Journalism is essentially a degree about communication and the understanding of its impact and global significance, all teaching and learning activities will aim to develop these skills. Lectures are used to disseminate knowledge, and all aim to involve some element of interactivity. These are backed up by smaller group workshops and seminars for further discussion and active learning. On occasions, learning is taken out of the university and delivered externally, for instance a class will be taken to the law courts to learn about court reporting. Varied assessments are used to measure understanding and knowledge, ranging from the formal examination to the presentation and class test. These skills can also be demonstrated both implicitly and explicitly by the production of artefacts such as publications and programmes, either individually or in groups. Portfolios consisting of both practical work and a reflection on that work are used to promote critical analysis and deep learning. International Journalism students are encouraged to engage in both secondary and primary research, often speaking to experts in the field as well as reading their work. The idea of actively learning about a constantly-changing media landscape is a powerful and immersive one that provides a 360 degree view of any issue and encourages critical thought. Nevertheless the formal lecture/workshop and discussion model is also important here, particularly in the early stages of knowledge acquisition and analysis. Again, the IJ programme melds both practical and theoretical assessment to promote deep learning and avoid the concept of the classroom “silo”, in which modules and content are studied in isolation. As many of these intellectual skills develop in tandem with understanding and knowledge, a wide range of assessments is used, from examinations in law and politics (professional body requirements) to researching and writing a magazine feature about employability in the media. The dissertation/academic project allows detailed research, evaluation, analysis and criticism at Level 6. Most professional practical skills are taught within a simulated newsroom environment, be that of a broadcast station, website or newspaper/magazine. At Level 4 these are workshop-based and tutor-led, aimed at developing basic skills, but as level 5 and 6 progress students take on much more responsibility for content and output, involving them in actively generating ideas, creating content and managing projects. Main assessments involve the production of artefacts such as publications and programmes, either individually or in groups. Portfolios consisting of both practical work and a reflection on that work are used to promote analysis of professional performance and issues. Time-constrained class tests are also used to measure aspects of professional practice. Again, the newsroom simulation is of use here, as are the more conventional learning methods and the groupwork. The production of original material for the programme’s platforms allows students to experiment in a safe environment with tutor guidance while learning about the constraints and challenges of live working. Research projects at Level 5 prepare students for the dissertation/academic project at Level 6, which requires many transferable skills. Groupwork, while not always formally assessed, gives students experience of communicating and negotiating while developing interpersonal skills. Research projects, newsdays, presentations and the production of artefacts are the most relevant modes of assessment, although transferable skills are intertwined with assessment at all stages of the programme.

The International Journalism programme always scores highly in students’ ratings of their personal development and much of that is because their education is firmly embedded in industry practice. We run a number of platforms on which the students can display their work. JMU Journalism is the departmental website http://jmu-journalism.org.uk/ which hosts TV reports and podcasts as well as text-based news and pictures, and Liverpool Life is the departmental newspaper which is printed weekly in term time and also published on line https://issuu.com/ljmujournalism Students are encouraged to make contact with journalism outlets and ask for work shadowing placements at the beginning of the course. At level 6 they are expected to do at least two weeks of placements and the department has a number of long-standing arrangements with the BBC, Trinity Mirror, The Independent group and Shortlist magazine among others. We prefer students to set up at least one week of placement work for themselves as this involves them in researching media in their chosen area, contacting the newspaper or radio station and using their skills of negotiation to arrange a work placement. In the past few years International Journalism students have completed placements in Europe, the USA and Dubai. The planning of the placement involves them in the employability skills of negotiation, planning, organization and interpersonal communication. The work placement coordinator agrees and monitors the placements, and along with the Screen School Student Development co-ordinator, ensures the placement programme complies with the LJMU Placement Learning Code of Practice. In addition, elements of study designed to assist students to learn about themselves and develop their employment skills are spread throughout the programme.