SJ5065 - Journalism: Public Interest and Power (2025/26)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2025/26 | ||||||||||||||||
| Module title | Journalism: Public Interest and Power | ||||||||||||||||
| Module level | Intermediate (05) | ||||||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
| School | School of Computing and Digital Media | ||||||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2025/26(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
This module covers what student journalists need to know about how Britain works and the place of journalism within debates about where public interest journalism is needed to shine a light on the workings of state power and, when ethically necessary, challenge abuses by state actors/institutions.
It is core for all journalism-related courses as everyone in the media needs to know how the system works.
Classes will look at the power frameworks of local/national government plus a range of other state institutions, including education, health and police, identifying those frameworks from the perspective of journalism operating on an ethical basis and acting in the best interests of an open, democratic society.
Students will explore these subjects from the industry viewpoint, learning how to find and develop news stories within the social and political landscape of Britain today.
Teaching and learning will be underpinned throughout by contemporary examples to ensure theory is bound to contemporary reality through the prism of journalistic values and public interest ethics.
The module will be underpinned by a site visit to City Hall, thus enhancing personal experience and understanding, as will guest speakers.
Discussion, research, screenings, visits and guest speaker will all play a part in developing students’ critical thinking skills in relation to state institutions and the role of journalism as the Fourth Estate in western democracies.
The module will be assessed by an opinion-led feature (op-ed), an essay, and an online journal moderated by the tutor at the end of the year.
Syllabus
The course will introduce key aspects of UK public affairs.Each week, students will explore the work of different institutions and research them in and out of class. Each week will centre on action research, where students analyse topical journalism products to uncover realities in relation to how state institutions function/fail/work against the public interest. LO 3,
You will discover what knowledge and which sources should be used to create an effective piece of writing. LO 1, 2, 3, 4.
State power structures to be covered will include: national and local systems of government and representation, police, education and health. LO 1, 2.
You will explore the relationship between ethical principles including: confidentiality, anonymity and protection of sources; truth, deception and integrity; principles of democracy, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of information; the public interest and conflicts of interest. LO4.
Through site visits and guest speakers, students will gain personal experience which will deepen their understandings. LO 1, 3.
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
Teaching of this module is a blend of workshops, lectures and visits from guest speakers. In class, small group research, discussion and reflection is encouraged, followed by whole group debates to further consolidate learning outcomes through independent thinking. Students are called on through these small group/whole group research and debate workshops to apply theory in relation to what they are learning and the guest speakers’ talks, thus embedding the relevance of study to real events as they are encountered by contemporary working journalists.
Student reflection is built into the architecture of module assessment with students writing Journal posts in Weblearn on a weekly basis. Reflection on multimedia journalistic technique is also encouraged, despite the more academic nature of the module.
Learning outcomes
If students read all the required texts, participate in all the class activities and complete the required assessments and assignments, they will develop transferable skills, usable in the workplace and as citizens. They should be able to:
1. Write knowledgeably about key British institutions, taking into account their histories and current contexts and use political, social, economic and cultural factors to add context to stories, without losing a reader’s interest.
2. Develop the ability to research independently in varied fields of public administration and journalism as it serves the public interest;
3. Communicate the basic concepts of ethical journalism in the public interest and their application to media practice;
4. Demonstrate through examples how media and journalists are situated within a democracy and analyse and argue about live ethical and professional issues in journalism today in relation to state institutions.