Awards

Target Award

Award Description:Bachelor of Arts with Honours - BAH

Alternative Exit

Alternative Exit

Alternative Exit

Programme Offerings

Full-Time

F2F-JMU-SEP

F2F-JMU-SEP

Educational Aims of the Course

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.

Learning Outcomes

1.
Demonstrate an awareness of the economic forces which frame the media and the role of such industries in specific areas of contemporary political and cultural life
2.
Critically evaluate the range of sources and the conceptual frameworks appropriate to research in the chosen area;
3.
Engage with new and emerging forms and arguments, drawing upon a variety of professional and academic skills.
4.
Produce work which demonstrates the effective manipulation of sound, image and/or the written word with particular regard to writing news reports and features.
5.
Utilise a range of research skills; for example research into potential audiences, markets or consumption contexts, as a production tool;
6.
Demonstrate operational aspects of media production technologies, systems, techniques and professional practices including accurate notetaking and the use of sources;
7.
Manage time, personnel and resources effectively, by drawing on planning and organisational skills;
8.
Initiate, develop and realise distinctive and creative work within various forms of writing or of aural, visual, audio-visual, sound or other electronic media;
9.
Experiment, as appropriate, with conventions, techniques and practices;
10.
Work in flexible, creative and independent ways, showing self-discipline, self-direction and reflexivity;
11.
Gather, organise and deploy ideas and information in order to formulate arguments cogently, and express them effectively in written, oral or in other forms;
12.
Show understanding of the role of technology in terms of media production, access and use;
13.
Retrieve and generate information, and evaluate sources, in carrying out independent research;
14.
Organise and manage supervised, self-directed projects and work productively in a group or team, showing abilities at different times to listen contribute and lead effectively;
15.
Communicate effectively in inter-personal settings, in writing and in a variety of media;
16.
Put to use a range of IT skills from basic competences such as data analysis and word-processing to more complex skills using web-based technology or multimedia
17.
Demonstrate knowledge of the social, cultural and political histories from which different media and communication practices have emerged;
18.
Show a knowledge of the legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks which affect media and cultural production, circulation, and consumption;
19.
Demonstrate an understanding of the student's own creative processes and practice through engagement in one or more production practices;
20.
Demonstrate an understanding of the narrative processes and modes of representation at work in media and cultural texts
21.
Engage critically with major thinkers, debates and intellectual paradigms within the field.
22.
Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others in a reflexive manner, with reference to academic and/or professional issues, debates and conventions.
23.
Conduct various forms of research for essays, projects, journalistic output or dissertations involving sustained independent enquiry;

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

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.

Opportunities for work related learning

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.

Programme Structure

Programme Structure Description

The programme is taught and assessed within the Academic Framework. Students must take 120 credits of Journalism modules at each level of the programme (Level 4, Level 5 and Level 6). Each level of the programme should normally be completed in one academic year. Modules are of two types: Core … For more content click the Read More button below.

Approved variance from Academic Framework Regulations

The International Journalism programme has been allowed variance to run the year-long Advanced Journalism Practice module at 40 credits alongside the 40-credit dissertation. As the 40 credit dissertation is year-long under AF exception, the variance for Advanced Journalism Practice to run as a 40 credit year-long module has been agreed … For more content click the Read More button below.

Entry Requirements

A levels

Alternative qualifications considered

BTECs

International Baccalaureate

Other international requirements

HECoS Code(s)

(CAH24-01) media, journalism and communications