Module manager: Ms Kate Watkins
Email: k.watkins@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
COMM1300 Basic Journalism.
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module provides a practical introduction to journalism. It aims to foster regular and critical habits of news engagement and to make students aware of the main characteristics of different kinds of news output. By the end of the module students will be able to explain key journalistic concepts and engage critically with them and produce their own news content.
The module introduces students to some key journalistic concepts, conventions and practices. In addition the module seeks to expose students to a wide range of news media and to build a familiarity with news content. Students will also develop practical skills in recording audio and news writing.
At the end of the module students should:
1. Explain key journalistic concepts including ethics with reference to examples from the news media.
2. Apply knowledge of journalistic concepts and values to produce news content that is news worthy, factual and accurate.
3. Write and produce an online news story
4. Record and edit audio, including a demonstration of your own voice skills
News writing, audio recording and editing, online news production.
The module will cover news values, journalistic objectivity, news language and storytelling, and journalistic sources, as well as how to write and produce an online news story.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Lecture | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Practical | 11 | 2 | 22 |
| Seminar | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Private study hours | 160 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 40 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Students are required to engage with the news media regularly. This will form the basis of much of the seminar activity (3 hours per week = total of 33 hours). Students will be set one reading per week and associated seminar activities (some online) totalling 20 hours (2 hours per week). The news viewing log will require a weekly time commitment of 2 hours (20 hours) with research and preparation of the news story (70 hours).
The news viewing log will be completed over the first 8 weeks of the semester with students receiving frequent formative feedback in seminars and via online discussion. The news story will build on exercises conducted in practical classes in which students will receive formative feedback.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Practical | Online News story (200-300 words + image and audio recording) | 60 |
| Project | News viewing log 2,000-2,500 words | 40 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Resit information: Students needing to resit components of the module are able to submit a new version of the same assignment
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 6/4/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team