module specification

This module is designed to help students in journalism-related fields increase their employability skills, to successfully get a work placement in their field and eventually apply successfully for jobs pertaining to journalism, fashion journalism, PR and other related areas.

You will work in teams in the newsroom to produce multi-platform journalism consistent with industry practice and will learn how to apply for jobs in these areas.  This module is core for journalism students and allied courses.

Working within tight deadlines and adhering to professional codes and standards, you will learn how to write and edit copy and scripts, headlines and picture captions and learn how to use words, images, graphics, audio and social media to construct narratives appropriate to the story and platform, and also learn how to take photos and use photos legally. You will post your stories onto the University’s forward-facing website, Holloway Express.

The development of students’ professional practice will be informed by sessions led by guest speakers from the industry and, potentially, field trips to working news environments.

Early on in the module you will apply for an editorial role on Holloway Express, will produce a professional cover letter and CV, and have an interview with your tutor and a member of Career Services. You will learn crucial interview skills to do well in a journalism environment and get feedback on these skills.

You will also learn how to produce a portfolio website either on WordPress, Wix, Canva or another suitable platform, and will attach your articles to this platform throughout this year and next. Successful completion of this module will involve the preparation of journalism and employability portfolios to be developed for presentation to prospective employers.  

Assessment will involve preparing a specific number of articles for Holloway Express, an employability portfolio and weekly contributions in a Production Journal, which will be both self-assessed and moderated by tutors.

Teaching sessions will take place in the Journalism newsroom and include explicit instruction about roles and responsibilities in a modern newsroom, the challenge of working in teams, news and feature writing and storytelling, page design and layout, the power of images and graphics, principles of copy editing, fact-checking, balance and the right of reply, how to write headlines and captions.  LO1,3,4

Students will attend workshop sessions on employers and employability, pitching and interviews, preparation of CVs and covering letters, performing at a job interview, entrepreneurial journalism and working as a freelance. LO3,4

Students will also learn how to fashion a portfolio website online, either on Wix, Wordpress, Canva or a platform of their choice. Students who go on to take the Newsroom Production: Holloway Express module will use this to post articles they have published in class. Other students will use this to showcase the work they do in other modules and freelance, to help enhance their employablity and show off the skills they have learned. The portfolio will also be useful when applying for a work placement. UOL, 3, 4

If students read all the required texts, participate in all the class activities and complete the required assessments and assignments, they should be able to:

1. Work in teams producing journalism which fits market criteria and make flexible contributions to discussion, writing and production within the newsroom;

2. Construct and present a professional CV, cover letter and portfolio website, and learn crucial interview skills;

3. Analyse their own personal strengths and weaknesses in employment contexts, develop strategies and explore opportunities to work in the industry;

4. Discuss and evaluate the elements and processes involved in seeking journalistic employment, with practical application to their own future.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/2374FA6E-C6C6-BD19-8CAE-6236004D4C69.html?lang=en&login=1