LT131-4-FY-CO:
Practical Reporting, Interviewing and Production (Single Honours)

The details
2023/24
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
27 September 2023

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BA P500 Multimedia Journalism,
BA P501 Multimedia Journalism (Including Year Abroad),
BA P503 Multimedia Journalism (Including Placement Year)

Module description

In this module you will learn the fundamentals of news reporting and writing and digital skills that allow you to produce and publish news content across different media. The module will prepare you for the Essential Journalism component of the NCJT diploma and the coursework will contribute towards your NCTJ Essential Journalism e-Portfolio. The module will help you develop transferable skills such as multimedia storytelling, conducting interviews, and writing with accuracy, brevity, and clarity. The module will also help you develop news judgment and a deeper understanding of ethics and objectivity.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To develop your skills in researching and producing rigorous factual reporting.

  • To hone your skills in writing with accuracy, brevity, and clarity.

  • To help you work with data and produce stories enhanced by infographics and visualisation.

  • To help you conceive, record, and edit high quality podcasts on current affairs.

  • To develop your visual storytelling skills with both photos and video.

  • To help you understand digital publishing and the skills needed to build an audience.

  • To help you develop an objective method and an ethical approach to journalism practice.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Write with accuracy, brevity and clarity.

  2. Research and produce rigorous factual reporting in different formats.

  3. Gather, visualise and interpret data.

  4. Develop, record and edit high quality podcasts.

  5. Use a smartphone to shoot and edit professional looking photos and video.

  6. Work with a CMS like Wordpress and optimise content for search engines.

  7. Demonstrate an objective method and an ethical commitment to fairness and accuracy.


Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

The module will be delivered via:

  • One 1-hour weekly lecture.
  • One two-hour weekly workshop.

Students will work independently on weekly exercises and develop their skills and knowledge with guidance and feedback from their instructors. Students will be assigned weekly material, including articles, books, podcasts, videos and films, to prepare for each class. There will also be opportunities for one-to-one guidance from their lecturer and tutor. In summer, students will work independently (or as part of a work placement) to develop their e-portfolio while receiving guidance and feedback on their work from their lecturer and tutor.

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   300 word news story     10% 
Coursework   800 word piece of journalism including original data and infographic     20% 
Coursework   Portfolio 1 - REASSESSMENT WITHOUT ATTENDANCE     
Coursework   5 minute podcast OR Photo essay (with 10 photos)     20% 
Coursework   3 Minute Video News Story with a 30 second Video snippet     30% 
Coursework   Contemporary History Essay - REASSESSMENT WITHOUT ATTENDANCE     
Coursework   Work or Story Reflection - REASSESSMENT WITHOUT ATTENDANCE     
Coursework   Portfolio 2 - REASSESSMENT WITHOUT ATTENDANCE     
Coursework   NCTJ Progress Test (Week 37)    0% 
Practical   1,000 word news feature     20% 
Written Exam  In-Class Subbing Test - REASSESSMENT WITHOUT ATTENDANCE     

Additional coursework information

The coursework comprises:

  • 300 word news story (10.00%).
  • 1,000 word news feature (20.00%).
  • 800 word piece of journalism including original data and infographic (20.00%).
  • 5 minute podcast OR Photo essay (with 10 photos) (20.00%).
  • 3 Minute Video News Story with a 30 second Video snippet (30.00%).

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Idrees Ahmad, email: m.i.ahmad@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Idrees Ahmad
LiFTS General Office - email: liftstt@essex.ac.uk Telephone 01206 872626

 

Availability
No
No
No
Travel costs for UK - based unpaid, approved work placements and live projects which are an integral part of a module may be covered by your department. (NB this will usually exclude field trips and site visits). Please check with your module supervisor to ensure that the activity is eligible.

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 96 hours, 5 (5.2%) hours available to students:
91 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

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