module specification

This module focuses on the practical and analytical skills (including looking at ethical problems) involved in professional news writing, newsgathering, collaborating in teams to produce stories, evaluating sources and revising writing.
Students will be required to produce copy in professional formats, which will include online posts using images, film and audio.
They will research and write a series of articles and publish them on a class blog. They will learn skills: analysis of reports, press releases and user-generated content; deducing news content from press conferences and announcements (diary items); following up human interest via face-to-face and phone interviews, including vox pops and the death knock; organising a team response to a major event; follow-up stories and case studies; analysing facts and figures to use in sidebar boxes; cultivating contacts and FoI.
They will study contemporary news coverage to develop an understanding of how news stories are reported and created.  They will discuss ethical, legal and commercial constraints on journalists and how different genres serve different markets.
Accuracy, subediting, headlines and search engine optimisation will be important, as will developing stories through new media, images, audio, and video.
The module will be assessed by a portfolio and a timed class exercise. The porttfolio consists of a) two non-diary sourced news features (350 words each) , with headlines and b) a log book of story construction, including contact details. The timed class exercise will comprise a) a short story of between 150 -170 words; and b) a short story (nib) of between 30-50 words.  Contribution in class will be measured by a self-reflective grid, moderated by tutors at the end of the teaching period.

The module’s aims are:

• An understanding of the basic professional techniques and processes involved in news gathering and writing;
• Practical competence in the skills needed to develop stories from a variety of sources using a range of research and information gathering techniques;
• Opportunity to work in teams producing news stories tailored to different outlets;
• Development of social skills involved in working in teams;
• Introduction of skills needed to write to different lengths and different genres, to time;
• Development of clear, unambiguous writing skills;
• Creation of original journalism for different platforms;
• Grasp of concepts of news and news values in an industry context, with regard to ethics and the law.

Students examine the reporter’s job through writing and reporting workshops.
They discuss news values, finding out where to look for and develop stories. They examine the ethical dilemmas which beset story construction. They explore the importance of developing news contacts, going on to develop varied techniques of interviewing face-to-face, by telephone and via email, from vox pops to death knock and extended interview.
Writing for newspapers, they explore how to craft an intro, the use of the 5 Ws and the news pyramid, and offering opportunities for headlines and pull quotes.  They write news leads, downpage stories and nibs. They look at translating these values into online formats, via class blog.
They learn how to select appropriate quotations from sources – press release, official report, new conference and personal contact -- and how to use them. They learn which details to include, the use of acknowledgements and cautions about plagiarism, thus how to be accurate and consistent.
They deconstruct the principles of logical story construction and how to tailor stories for an audience, recognising and evaluating news.
Writing for online platforms, they learn basics of search engine optimisation, good headlines and standfirsts and links.
Covering events, speakers and meetings, they learn how to produce original copy as well as how to rewrite handouts. They analyse government/ministerial briefings; ‘off-the-record’ interviews and news agency copy from the “wire” to develop stories. They discuss and explore the parameters of research, from official and hidden statistics and databases to social media and printed archives.
They familiarise themselves with the use of a style book. They edit each other's work and learn how to give constructive criticism.

Learning and teaching strategy will be based on an interactive model.
For most of the 30 teaching weeks, a three-hourly session will require students to write and to speak, to work with each other and individually. They will also need to take notes, present independent research and ideas and contest information presented by staff.
A weekly podcast will require each student to respond through social media.
In enhancement weeks, newsdays will complement one-to-one tutorial and coaching sessions. Feedback will be given one-to-one in class and electronically. Electronic resources, including the university’s virtual environment, will be used by students and staff.
Working in small teams will develop social as well as academic skills.
The module will be supported by a VLE site containing notes, readings and extended bibliographies, and weblinks.
Opportunities for pdp will be supported.

Students who read all the required texts, participate in all the class activities and complete the required assessments and assignments, should be able to:

• Display the basic techniques and processes of news gathering and writing, in portfolios;
• Write basic news stories to length and to audience;
• Display effective interviewing and reporting techniques, in written pieces for portfolios;
• Work in teams to find and develop stories, with regard to ethical constraints;
• Originate and write stories to length and to time, from different sources, diary and off-diary;
• Produce content for different platforms;
• Analyse and interpret information from a variety of sources and communicate the results to a variety of target media, audiences and cultures.
   

• Formative assessment will comprise short weekly written exercises both creative and critical, and presentations to seminars and workshops.
• Summative and formative assessment will comprise: a timed class exercise of a) a short story of between 150 -170 words; and b) a short story (nib) of between 30-50 words.
• Summative assessment will comprise: one portfolio of a) two non-diary sourced news features (350 words each) , with headlines and b) a log book of story construction, including contact details; and moderation by tutors of self-assessed contribution in class, to include weekly social media comments on podcasts.
   

Allan, S. (2004) News Culture, 2nd edition Maidenhead: Open University Press
Conboy, Martin (2007) The Language of the News London: Routledge
Frost, Chris (2001) Reporting for Journalists London: Routledge
Thompson, R. Writing for Broadcast Journalists. Routledge (2004)
Hammerich, I. and Harrison, C. (2002) Developing Online Content: The Principles of Writing and Editing for the Web London: John Wiley
Hicks, Wynford (2006) English for Journalists London: Routledge
Hicks, Wynford et al (2008) Writing for Journalists London: Routledge
McGuire, M. et al (2002) The Internet Handbook for Writers, Researchers and Journalists Guildford:  Guildford Press
Sissons, H. (2006) Practical Journalism: How to Write News London: Sage
Various (2007) Essential Reporting: The NCTJ Guide for Trainee Journalists NCTWebsites:
All newspaper websites (e.g. thesun.co.uk  and guardian.co.uk)
BBC Online