57083 Advanced Journalism
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 8 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject equips students with the technical, analytical and multimedia journalism skills in demand by established companies, startups, and other profit and not-for-profit organisations and groups. Students develop a portfolio of high-quality, in-depth reporting and editing that draws on text, audio and visual platforms. Research projects focus on the opportunities and challenges of a media industry in transition, and examine issues that inform debates, policy and scholarly inquiry about the role of the journalist and the future of journalism. The subject serves as an introduction to core and elective postgraduate subjects.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Create journalism using high-level reporting and editing skills |
|---|---|
| b. | Identify and reflect on key journalism trends, issues and debates |
| c. | Reflect on their own practice against industry standards of excellence |
| d. | Analyse critical developments in journalist-audience relations |
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:
- Possess an advanced understanding of the professional skills and techniques in a range of contexts appropriate to contemporary journalism practice (1.1)
- Apply a high level of initiative to create content using multiple techniques and within industry accepted frameworks of accountability (1.2)
- Reflect critically on the theory and professional practice of contemporary journalism (2.2)
- Demonstrate advanced skills in engagement to enable effective communication with multiple stakeholders, using traditional and emerging techniques (6.1)
- Harness multiple channels of communication, understanding the power and limitations of each as a tool to spread information and engage specific audiences and communities. (6.2)
Teaching and learning strategies
Students will be exposed to high-quality reporting, editing and presentation across mediums and use the skills gained to develop their own reporting, editing and publishing. They will develop high level reporting and editing skills in lectures, seminars and workshops. Mandatory workshops will run, starting in week 1, throughout the session and aim to assist students to learn and/or refresh skills in the use of audio and video equipment.
Students will be engaged via online and face-to-face learning with aspects of contemporary journalism practice and research to inform both their reporting and editing and the more reflective aspects of the subject.
They will be expected to produce pieces of journalism and write reflective blogs that indicate their understanding of contemporary journalistic challenges, debates and opportunities. Students will develop their ability to identify journalism trends in lectures complemented by independent reading, participation in online discussions facilitated by the subject co-ordinator and use of online resources.
Online Language Screening Task:
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills in order to succeed at university and in the workplace. To determine your current academic language proficiency, you are required to complete an online language screening task, OPELA (information available at https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/learning-and-teaching/enhancing/language-and-learning/about-opela-students) . If you receive a Basic grade for OPELA, you must attend additional Language Development Tutorials (weeks 4-12) in order to pass the subject. These tutorials are designed to support you to develop your language and communication skills. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Content (topics)
This subject explores journalism practice, concepts, trends and challenges. It covers topics related to: best practice reporting, editing and publishing; multi-platform storytelling; presentation, pitching and research skills; and audience strategies. Current and emerging revenue and funding models will be examined as a way of exploring audience engagement. Guest lecturers, in person and via online resources, will be deployed to lead discussion on contemporary industry issues and debates and challenge students to think about the role of journalists and journalism. Practice will encompass both established media practices and emerging areas, such as data-driven and computer-assisted journalism. Students will encouraged to play an active role in the journalism lab, filing stories for the Central News website. They will work with the subject coordinator, tutors and the site’s in-house editor. Current events and the daily news agenda will inform class practice-oriented assignments. Students will develop news content and be expected to identify what production method and platform best suits the particular story.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Tackling the news
| Intent: | [no content] | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | a and c | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 300 words each story | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Cross platform journalism
| Intent: | [no content] | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | a, b and c | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | Text of 400 words, audio 150 seconds, video between 90- 120 seconds | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Participation in skills workshops is essential to demonstrate ability to use audio, web and video equipment. A competency test will be taken during the boot camp. Students who fail to participate will be refused to have their final assessment marked.
Journalism students need to demonstrate an understanding of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance Journalist Code of Ethics. A review of the Journalistic Code of Ethics will be conducted in the orientation week.
Students who have not demonstrated an understanding of the Code of Ethics and gained 75 percent or higher in the online legal quiz will not be able to undertake any journalism assignments.
Classes are based on a collaborative approach that involves essential work-shopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor.
In this subject assessment tasks are cumulative so that each task builds understanding and/or skills, informed by formative feedback. Consequently, all assessments must be submitted in order for you to receive feedback. Students who do not submit all assessments will not pass the subject.