Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This is the first writing / reporting unit in Journalism and provides the foundation for advanced and specialised professional writing and reporting techniques.

This unit is concurrently taught with KJP401, with appropriate learning outcomes tailored for undergraduate students.

Aims

This unit aims to promote understanding and skills in received journalistic ways of thought, processes and practice.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:
1. Recognise, report and write news.
2. Apply your reporting, newswriting and editing skills to the news story presentation.
3. Record interviews and capture images to augment written text.
4. Critically appraise the principles and definitions of news.

Content

This unit addresses content such as:
- Where does news come from,taking in definitions of news and principles of news gathering, and applications such as theory of interviews.
- Journalism environments, taking in introductory study of media organisations, futures for journalism, legal issues or ethics.
- Plain writing, offering practical applications of the journalistic craft.
- Skills extensions, taking in introductory work with pictures and sound.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit comprises lectures and tutorials or workshops. Guests including practicing journalists should be involved in the program. Tutorials build on material covered in lectures and enable tutors to provide feedback.

Assessment

LATE ASSIGNMENTS
An assignment submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be marked. If you are unable to complete your assignment on time, you should submit on time whatever work you have done.

Faculty Assessment Information
To access the Creative Industries Faculty Assessment Information see the Blackboard site for this unit.

As part of your preparation for each piece of assessment you will be required to engage in the monitoring of news topics contained within major news outlets.FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
You will receive formative feedback on your progress in this unit during tutorials and discussions throughout the semester. Weight 0%

Assessment name: Portfolio
Description: Portfolio comprising short reports that introduce the basics of writing news copy. The short reports will be assigned weekly and undertaken in class, with marks allocated for the three best of four short reports. Feedback will be provided by tutors.
Further information will be available on the Blackboard site.
Relates to objectives: 1-2
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Early Semester

Assessment name: Portfolio
Description: Portfolio of news stories.
Relates to objectives: 1-3
Weight: 55%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid/Late Semester

Assessment name: Essay
Description: Topic drawn from definitions, principles of news, journalistic environments.
Relates to objectives: 1, 4
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Late Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Required Text

QUT Journalism Style Guide, Blackbaord site for this subject, and Journalism site.

Recommended Text

Duffield, L. and Cokley, J. (Eds.), (2006), I Journalist: Coping with and crafting media information in the 21st century. Pearson, Sydney.

Alysen, B., Sedorkin, G., Oakham, M. and Patching, R. (2003) Reporting in a Multimedia World, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.

Materials and essential messages are provided through the Blackboard site for this unit; students are provided with portable sound recorders and digital cameras for introductory workshops.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 25-Mar-2013