module specification

SM7109 - Digital Journalism (2024/25)

Module specification Module approved to run in 2024/25
Module title Digital Journalism
Module level Masters (07)
Credit rating for module 20
School School of Computing and Digital Media
Total study hours 200
 
116 hours Assessment Preparation / Delivery
48 hours Guided independent study
36 hours Scheduled learning & teaching activities
Assessment components
Type Weighting Qualifying mark Description
Coursework 60%   Individual factual/news-based blog entries and contribution to group news output
Coursework 40%   Original journalism project using a combination of media and platforms
Running in 2024/25

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)
Period Campus Day Time Module Leader
Spring semester North Monday Morning

Module summary

Students will learn to place their skills in, and understanding of, journalism in relation to today’s digital environment. They will develop their writing, production and design skills to a professional level, learning how to adopt creative approaches to creating journalistic stories across different media platforms, (including social networks, such as Twitter TikTok, Facebook Live, Snapchat). Students will be asked to build multimedia packages, blogs, websites and develop ways of working that engage the audience in interactive and participatory ways.

Specifically, the module will introduce students to the writing skills and technical demands of online, audio and visual journalism. Students will be asked to develop and deliver news stories working individually and as part of a team.

Prior learning requirements

N/A

Syllabus

This module is a practically-based one, using seminars dedicated to hands-on experience with the development of digital journalism projects for different platforms. It intends to give the students tools to work with multimedia narratives in a multi-platform digital “mediascape.” Students will learn how to develop digital projects, working with different formats (text, hypertext, photos, video, audio) and platforms (producing for online and mobile platforms) and how to develop story-telling across different digital platforms. The digital technology training will be placed within journalistic contexts.

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

Teaching methods include lectures and on-line interactive learning material, tutorials, seminar discussions and computer lab sessions. Students will be expected to attend lectures and take part in on-line activities as well as comment on their readings. A blended learning strategy will be employed to enhance the learning experience. The VLE will be used as a platform to support online discussions and situated learning experiences and to facilitate formative assessment and related feedback as well as a tool to integrate useful online learning materials provided by professional organisations and other relevant sources.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. Learn how to produce news stories in a range of digital contexts and across platforms, including how to publish and produce online
2. Produce an effective online, digital news experience that shows attention to copy and content, the appropriate stylistic devices of specific platforms that demonstrates an ability to use material over different media, depending on the needs of the story in question
3. Demonstrate the ability to work effectively across platforms as part of a team producing digital news outputs to deadlines.
4. Be able to record and edit video and audio factual packages, using cameras, audio recording equipment and video and audio editing software (Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Audition).

Bibliography