LT131-4-FY-CO:
Essential Journalism
2024/25
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
30
26 March 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA P500 Multimedia Journalism,
BA P501 Multimedia Journalism (Including Year Abroad),
BA P503 Multimedia Journalism (Including Placement Year)
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.
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 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.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Write with accuracy, brevity and clarity.
- Research and produce rigorous factual reporting in different formats.
- Gather, visualise and interpret data.
- Use a smartphone to shoot and edit professional looking photos and video.
- Work with a CMS like Wordpress and optimise content for search engines.
- Demonstrate an objective method and an ethical commitment to fairness and accuracy.
No additional information available.
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.
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 |
800 word piece of journalism including original data and infographic |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
300 word news story |
22/11/2024 |
10% |
| Coursework |
Photo essay (with 10 photos) |
21/02/2025 |
20% |
| Coursework |
3 Minute Video News Story with a 30 second Video snippet |
28/03/2025 |
30% |
| Practical |
1,000 word news feature |
06/12/2024 |
20% |
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%).
- 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
Reassessment
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
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.
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 21 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
21 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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