52647 Professional Project
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): MAJ10046 Journalism Major OR 36 credit points of completed study in spk(s): MAJ09478 48cp Journalism Major OR 36 credit points of completed study in spk(s): MAJ09486 48cp Journalism Major
Anti-requisite(s): 54025 Industry Portfolio
Description
This subject equips students with the skills and mental models to thrive in an industry that is being disrupted every few years. Disruption not only affects business models, it changes audience behaviour. Students learn how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to their work as freelancers, intrapreneurs or entrepreneurs. This includes strategic editorial decisions (such as identifying needs, audiences and distribution), developing journalistic projects and products, and creating new media startups. This subject develops students' skills in producing quality journalism that meets audiences where they are, and engages as it informs.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Apply news values research to the identification and production of news content |
|---|---|
| b. | Develop an entrepreneurial mindset by identifying a market problem and finding an innovative solution that serves a community |
| c. | Develop advanced reporting skills that are guided by the principles of ethics and diversity |
| d. | Research, analyse and demonstrate an understanding of issues in contemporary journalism practice |
| e. | Communicate clearly and accurately using a range of approaches, tools and techniques |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Act in a professional manner appropriate to communication industries (1.1)
- Apply theoretically informed understandings of communication industries to independent and collaborative projects across a range of media (1.2)
- Employ appropriate research and inquiry skills to independently gather, organise and analyse information across diverse platforms (2.1)
- Act as reflexive critical thinkers and innovative creative practitioners who evaluate their own and others' work (2.2)
- Demonstrate a strong awareness, knowledge of, and sensitivity to, diversity, equity and global contexts (3.1)
- Apply knowledge of Indigenous issues in professional practices and engage responsibly in communicating with and about Indigenous people and communities (4.1)
- Analyse and act ethically in the personal, political and professional contexts of civil society (5.1)
- Exemplify effective and appropriate communication in different communication industry contexts (6.1)
- Utilise digital literacy and production skills across a range of media (6.2)
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is delivered through a combination of workshops and online modules for pre-class preparation. The workshops incorporate a range of practical activities focused on design thinking, audience engagement strategies, prototyping, testing and hypotheticals, enabling students to experiment with new approaches to creating, distributing and monetising content. Lectures and online content are focused on grounding those practical activities in theoretical and critical discussion about media entrepreneurship. Students apply their entrepreneurial skills in individual assessments and in-class group work activities, and receive formative feedback before the submission of their assessments.
Content (topics)
This subject provides students with the cross-disciplinary competencies and digital industry knowledge required for success in an evolving media ecosystem focused on innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. Students learn business basics, design thinking, pitching and product development and creative problem-solving to address the rapidly evolving media landscape. Students visualise and refine their project pitches using a Lean Canvas business model, empathy mapping tool, persona template and pitch deck. Across the subject assessments, students will show they have engaged with the readings, led a class discussion about the week's issues, presented their own case study of an example of strategic innovation in journalism, applied the principles of strategic audience engagement to their own story, and created a blueprint for their own product or start-up.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Class discussion and engagement
| Objective(s): | c, d and e | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 20 to 30 minutes. You will be stopped at the 30-minute mark. If the group runs over, any student who missed out will be given the opportunity to present directly to the tutor. Students who took time from their peers will be penalised. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Journalistic story + strategic editorial deliverables
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and e | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | Part 1: Written word: 1200 words* Audio / Video: 6-8 minutes* *Or equivalent, delivered in chapters. Part 2: Guides / examples will be provided Part 3: 500 words | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Journalism product prototype
| Objective(s): | a, b, c, d and e | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | Part 1: We want to give you as many options as possible to focus on what interests you. Equivalent lengths for different platforms / media will be provided as a guide. Final deliverable length may need to be signed off by your tutor / subject co-ordinator. Part 2: 500 words | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Attendance at classes is essential in this subject. Classes are based on a collaborative approach that involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor to build capacities towards meeting the subject learning objectives. A roll will be taken at each class (whether on campus or online). Students who have more than two absences from class will be refused marking of their final assessment (see Rule 3.8).
Required texts
Links to required subject readings will be available on the UTS Canvas subject site.