MA Journalism

This module introduces and hones the core skills you'll need to become a journalist. These include finding stories, telling stories and developing stories. The module features Live News Days where you will gain experience of working in a simulated newsroom environment.

Topics covered on this module include:

• News and where to find it
• Essential skills in news writing
• The art of the interview
• Working with figures
• Approaches to features writing
• Interacting with and engaging your audience.

Multimedia skills are vital in most journalist roles now and this module will deepen your abilities to manage video and audio journalism.

Topics covered on this module include:

• Shooting, framing and sequencing stories
• Editing video for broadcast, online and social media
• Captions, graphics and audio processing
• SEO, newsletters and branding.

In this module, you'll develop an insightful understanding of the ethical, regulatory, and legal aspects of journalistic and media practice. You'll study a range of media law guidelines for journalists and media practitioners.

Topics covered on this module include:

• Regulation – IPSO, Ofcom and the legal systems governing UK media
• Defamation
• Court reporting
• Laws protecting court reporting
• Inquests and door knocks
• Reporting on protected characteristics
• Cancel culture
• Inequality and diversity in UK media.

In this module, you'll blend debate and discussion on the role of the media, reporting politics, and holding power to account, with a deep applied knowledge of UK political and societal systems.

Topics covered in this module include:

• Propaganda and holding power to account
• The monarchy and the media
• The NHS, the education system and the emergency services
• The role of the media and government
• Local government structures
• Central government and the civil service
• Truth and outrage in contemporary journalism
• Conglomerations
• Democracy, class and mainstream media.

This module provides you with the opportunity to pursue investigatory practices in a broadcast setting.

Data is at the heart of many stories. You'll gain the knowledge and skills to collate, analyse and present data to a variety of audiences. The use of data in investigative journalism forms a core element here, and you'll develop your ideas for investigation on real-world stories.

Topics covered on this module include:

• The influence of data on the media industry and how it is driving change
• The alignment of data journalism with public interest: citizenship, politics, censorship, press freedom and truth
• Handling data: use of a range of spreadsheet techniques and functions to extract and analyse
• Visualisation: industry best practice and the importance of using visualisation to help tell the story
• Writing about data: humanising data through storytelling.

In this module, you'll get to grips with the principles, workflow, techniques and practice of a digital state-of-the-art broadcast TV newsroom. You'll create and deliver multiple original products and you'll take a closer look at the logistics behind the delivery process.

Topics covered in this module include:

• Visualising news and camera operation for ENG (Electronic News Gathering)
• Sound recording for spoken word and environments
• Legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks in which television news producers operate
• Recording and conducting location and studio interviews (live and pre-recorded)
• TV studio operation and roles
• iNews correct usage and run order creation
• TV Studio directing and running interviews
• Critical analysis and evaluation of individuals work and the work of others.

In this module, you'll discover the practical aspects of lifestyle writing for a range of multi-platform publishers and brands in the consumer and B2C sectors. From fashion, film and music to sport, travel and food, you'll focus on developing the craft of criticism, ranging from intellectually stimulating reviews and informative reports to entertaining listicles and image-led copy. You'll investigate the practice of lifestyle journalism within the wider context of consumer culture and how it links to topical issues within society at large.

Topics covered on this module include:

• Analysis of genres of lifestyle writing
• The ethics and integrity of lifestyle journalism and the impact of influencer culture
• The lifestyle journalist’s toolkit: developing a specialism and building a network of contacts
• Writing for diverse and target demographics
• Styles of writing, developing relevant research strands
• Tackling the visual components of lifestyle journalism.

This module examines the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the publishing industry. It begins by adopting a wide remit of both ‘CSR’ and ‘publishing’ and seeks to understand and critique how the industry incorporates CSR into their remits and how this is reflected in their practice. Grouped thematically, the topics on this module explore the relationship between the growing value of CSR more widely in society and the way that the publishing industry is responding.

In this module, you'll discover that crafting and telling a story are central to all forms of publishing, and increasingly key in all industries worldwide. You do not need any prior writing experience; as an aspiring editor or writer, you'll hone your skills. You'll examine and practise the techniques involved in writing and shaping narratives across all forms of fiction and non-fiction. You'll uncover the craft of storytelling within the publishing industry and the process of publishing. You'll also explore written stories within the broader world of IP and the entertainment business.

Topics covered in this module include:

• The writer’s toolkit
• Writing from theme to character and plot
• Writing genre and non-fiction
• Story structure, adaptation, self editing
• Working with an editor
• Fiction and non-fiction submission packages
• Understanding your changing audience

In this module, you'll hone your skills in the craft and technical processes of developing audio narratives into podcasting, radio and audiobooks. You will investigate the ongoing processes and developments of media technologies and crucially, evaluate how they intersect; how audiences and readers connect with stories across developing and emerging channels of communication. By the end of this module you will be fully developed as a future-proof practitioner.

Topics covered in this module include:

• Evaluating the influence multimedia has had on broadcast journalism and book publishing
• Evaluating the differences between audiobooks, radio, and podcasting
• Mass audiences and the commercialisation of the political
• Copyright and production editing
• Producing output for different audiences
• Developing and applying audio storytelling skills
• How to record and edit compelling scenes for audio storytelling platform needs and delivery.

Fiction and non-fiction publishing are perennially popular business models within the publishing world, and the globalisation and digitisation of the consumer book landscape have only enhanced one of the most dynamic and creative sectors of the industry. Within this module, you will explore the range and depth of pitfalls and possibilities intrinsic to this ever-changing aspect of publishing. You will gain an understanding of the importance of verticals in consumer publishing and as well as the elasticity of the role of the author.

The Dissertation or Major Project is the defining and essential component for the award of the MA degree. It is a major in-depth investigation of a subject, theme or issue significant to the study of journalism through research and extended written work (15,000 words or equivalent for major projects).

The Major Project is a practical application of technologies, commerce or enterprise and results in a defined artefact and an analytical report (5,000 words) that places the work in the context of contemporary journalism. For example, your work may be a project with a focus on the practical elements of either a printed or electronic publication. Alternatively, your artefact might be a business proposal for a new web platform or media start-up.