LT132-4-FY-CO:
Principles of Journalism
2015/16
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
30
-
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA P500 Multimedia Journalism
This module looks at the history of journalism and its place in the development of democracy, and gives context and background to the environment in which today's journalists operate. It complements the Introduction to Reporting module, which is about the practical side of the job, looking instead at the roles and responsibilities of journalism in modern society, and the challenges facing the industry in the digital age. Insofar as it explains the necessity for responsible journalism of a high quality in a democratic society, it underpins and informs the content of all other elements of the degree course. It is rooted in the core journalism values of accuracy, impartiality, honesty, fair dealing, impartiality and independence, and in that context examines the ethical issues involved in reporting, and the tensions between freedom of expression, public interest and the rights of individuals to privacy. The module contributes to the NCTJ syllabus for the Diploma in Journalism, which does not examine principles and ethics as separate subjects, but expects students to reflect an awareness and understanding of both in all those subjects it does examine, such as reporting, the law and public affairs.
Aims
1. to explore the theoretical, ethical and moral aspects of being a journalist
2. to give an understanding of the historical and contemporary character of journalism, and its rights, privileges and obligations in a democratic society
3. to encourage you to consider what is meant by freedom of expression in a media context, and whether there are, or should be, any limits or boundaries to that privilege
4. to give you a framework for looking at ethical and editorial dilemmas and dealing with ambiguity and grey areas, so that you can make sound and well-founded editorial decisions of your own.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module you will:
1. be able to place today's journalism in a historical context
2. have a clear sense of where the industry stands now and the direction in which it is heading
3. have explored a range of key concepts and challenges, and learned how to make good editorial judgements based on core values and a range of ethical and practical considerations
4. understand what it means to be a responsible journalist.
No information available.
No information available.
No additional information available.
The module will be taught through a combination of lectures, discussions and practical examples and case studies. Teaching will be based on a weekly two-hour seminar, comprising a lecture and interactive discussion delivered by journalism staff, enhanced by regular guest lecturers with expertise in the history and practice of journalism.
You will have frequent opportunities to examine and debate some of these ideas and concepts in a contemporary setting, and to form, test and argue for your own views. The principal medium for this will be the hour-long 'morning meetings' which will be held in the Newsroom three or four times a week, outside the weekly seminars. Students will come to the meetings with an awareness of the stories of the day, and will be ready to discuss them and how they are being covered across all media; examining the editorial, ethical and other issues that editors have had to grapple with before publication. As well as trying to understand how and why those decisions were taken, you will also be challenged to come to your own conclusions and test them in class. In interactive discussions, students can expect to be considering issues of truth and accuracy, fair dealing, ethical behaviour, partiality and spin, taste and decency, observance of the law and other areas on more or less a daily basis. These meetings will make a strong connection between the theory and the everyday reality, giving the conceptual and factual character of the seminars a crispness and relevance, and illustrating that almost every story has a wider context, and requires careful assessment and treatment.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Portfolio of work |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Assignment (Essay) |
|
60% |
| Practical |
Class Participation Mark |
|
10% |
| Written Exam |
Principles in Class Test |
|
0% |
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
Professor Jonathan Baker, Mr Paul Anderson, Dr Fatima el Issawi
LiFTS Taught Team - email liftstt@essex.ac.uk.
Telephone 01206 872626
No
No
No
Dr Karen Fowler-Watt
Bournemouth University
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
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