Awards
Target Award
Accreditation
Programme Offerings
Full-Time
Educational Aims of the Course
To develop an active interest in UK journalism and to guide students towards a critical and historical understanding of the journalism industry. To enable students to situate the study of journalism within the broader debates of media and cultural theory. To facilitate students’ understanding and knowledge of journalism practice in the media of text-based and broadcast journalism. 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 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 encourage students to engage with the development of employability skills.
Learning Outcomes
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
As Journalism is essentially a degree about communication and the understanding of its impact and 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 students will be taken to the law courts to learn about court reporting. Varied assessments are used to measure understanding and knowledge, including formal examination, essay writing and presentations. 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. 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 Journalism 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/final 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 group work. The production of original multimedia 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. Group work, while not always formally assessed, gives students experience of communicating and negotiating while developing interpersonal skills. Research projects, news days, 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. In addition to university assessments, students will have the opportunity to sit professional NCTJ exams and obtain their NCTJ diploma during their studies.