MA Journalism

The journalist as reflective practitioner; the research base; information as commodity and natural resource; the information society and its critics; the contribution of Daniel Bell; the journalism of information; freedom of information (FOI), local and international; democracy and the fourth and fifth estates; opinion columns and punditry; Walter Lippmann as exemplar; freedom of the press; the idea of the public sphere; Jurgen Habermas and the theory of communicative action; the nature of power/knowledge; Michel Foucault; the political economy of communication and information; the agenda-setting research tradition; news value paradigms; information and media policy issues; information poverty and inequality; copyright and intellectual property; privacy and surveillance; censorship and its viability in an age of information; the press and the secret state; specialist fields, such as sports journalism and science journalism; international institutions and challenges; social justice and ethical issues; emergent media; forecasting and the study of the future; associated research topics as they arise.

Further information

The module will require you to think like a potential magazine publisher or editor: you will critically examine the range of magazines available and their routes to market, as well as investigating the various approaches and styles they adopt in order to appeal to a particular target readership. You will then apply this analysis to the creation of a new publication: learning, drawing upon and practicing a range of editorial and design skills to produce your own magazine.

Further information

This module will cover in-depth the three main legal principles of media law: Contempt of Court, Libel / Defamation and Privacy. It will also examine the role of industry regulators Ofcom and IPSO, and journalistic ethics with reference to the Editors’ Code of Conduct. Criminal and court reporting will be a major feature of the module which will be reflected in one of your assessments. You will also focus on the legal constraints and restrictions, especially with regard to privacy and the reporting of minors and victims of sexual assault. Overall we will look at how the journalist must work within the law in a democratic society, but be prepared to challenge it in a responsible and ethical manner. You will also focus on how the law specifically applies to journalists in broadcast media (TV and radio), online (newspapers, blogs, websites, videos, podcasts) and print (newspapers & magazines). The module will introduce you to Scottish and UK media law as well as the Human Rights Act 1998, the European Convention on Human Rights and international law. How the law also applies to social media will be examined along with copyright.The module will take both a practical and theoretical approach to media law with assessments on crime reporting, a legal portfolio and also opinion commentary.

Further information

This module will enable you to develop news writing skills for print and online. It will enhance your journalistic research skills and understanding of core journalistic values. You will strengthen your experience of professional practice by participating in regular news days. During these activities, you will learn to produce journalistically sound and well-written copy to deadlines for print and online outlets. As well as developing your experience of practical news-gathering techniques, you will learn to self-edit. You will begin to understand how to self-legal.

Further information

This module will introduce you to a variety of common radio formats as well as the terminology used in specific broadcast environments. You will expand your critical understanding of the radio environment in the UK and beyond and will understand how news values apply to radio journalism. The module will enable you to realise story ideas through to completion in a variety of formats suitable for broadcast and podcasting. You will research stories and find contributors, record on location, and understand the processes and paperwork required of a broadcast journalist including risk assessment and interview techniques. You will also be taught how to use audio recorders, and scripting and editing software.

Further information

This module develops video storytelling techniques for broadcast and online, with emphasis on devising creative treatments for specific audiences. You will learn the professional skills required to film and edit visual sequences, write a broadcast script, conduct interviews, and present on camera. Working in a group you will also engage with professional newsroom workflows by producing a number of longer TV bulletins. In this way, you will develop an understanding of TV studio production, incorporating presenting styles and live interviewing techniques. These ‘news-days’ enable you to learn in a simulated work environment, where deadlines for regular bulletins and extended news programmes must be met. The module is closely linked to the industry and mirrors real industry workflows. You will analyse conventional TV news narrative techniques as well as explore the evolving nature of creative digital video production with an emphasis on mobile journalism and social media platforms. This module ensures you will experience first-hand industry pressures and develop a knowledge of the journalistic, ethical, and technical challenges of working in a TV newsroom. There will be extensive discussion and critical analysis of contemporary issues such as privacy and consent, TV regulation, digital platforms and the place of video within a converged and digital workplace.

Further information