Journalism with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

The purpose of this practical production module is to explore media production techniques in radio, audio production, online video and television. The module is designed to recognise that many media professionals no longer work in specialised areas and are often asked to make use of a range of skills and platforms across different media in order to reach their audiences. Throughout the module you will be supported to develop industry-level practical skills through a range of production activities and workshops.

This purpose of this practical production module is to explore media production techniques in journalism, public relations, and events management. The module draws together the skills needed for writing and producing content for print and online, as well as developing communications campaigns that connect with audiences dispersed across digital platforms. The module is designed to recognise that many media professionals no longer work in specialised areas and are often asked to make use of a range of skills and platforms across different media in order to reach their audiences.

The purpose of this module is to introduce you to the key concepts aligned to studying media and communication. The module will focus on making connections between theory and practice and will support your wider understanding of the media industry and the context of your own work. You will have the opportunity to engage with theoretical perspectives that focus on the political economy of the media which will enable you to see how media texts are shaped by the organisation, ownership and regulation of the media industry. You will identify and reflect on political, moral and ethical issues raised by the relationships between the media, culture and ideas of power in local, national and international contexts.

The purpose of this module is to assist you in developing the academic skills needed to succeed in higher education, and the professional skills required to support your ambitions to be a media worker. You will be introduced to the wide range of academic and practical support that the university offers.

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a production project in the subject specialism of your choosing, exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. The outcome can take the form of a written or a practice-based outcome. You will be able to evaluate and reflect critically on your work. Your final work will be a key step in your progression as a student of the media and as a media worker. You will be expected to work independently for the most part but you will receive one-to-one support from a supervisor as well as being able to connect with wider support within the School’s academic team.

In Live Newsroom 1 you’ll be introduced to the core skills of journalism production, such as news gathering and news production. In the first phase of the module you’ll explore the organisational structures and roles within journalism newsrooms, before being introduced to the basic concepts of structuring stories and creating content using different formats. You’ll then put these into practice in semester 2 with a series of regular live digital production days designed to help you develop a practical knowledge of the skills required to work as a mobile journalist with a real audience and real deadlines to adhere to.

This module is designed to help you to develop an understanding of Freedom of Expression and the way it is balanced by the legal, regulatory and ethical constraints on news reporting and the media in general. It is specifically designed for journalists and other media professionals in that it approaches law and ethics from a journalistic perspective rather than that of a lawyer.

This module introduces you to alternative and emerging platforms in journalism, by exploring texts and the context in which they operate, such as hyperlocal, regional and national marketplaces. You will research different types of journalism outputs in order to understand the different methods and techniques used to serve audiences in the contemporary media landscape. The sessions will also encourage you to explore how content can be reshaped and repurposed for alternative outlets, as well as introducing you to alternative journalism formats.

This module will introduce you to the workings of core institutions of public life, particularly in the fields of politics, criminal justice, education, health and social welfare and business. It will allow you to develop a deeper understanding of the importance of these areas and of important third sector organisations as sources of news.

Over three years of study, Global and Community Impact aims to develop skills that enable students to identify issues which impact global and or local communities and the organisations that attempt to work in these contexts. Through a mixture of critical research, journalistic practice and critical reflection, students will apply the skills and knowledge they learn to a range of relevant journalistic debates, environments and media. This will assist you in becoming a flexible, resilient and reflective journalist who can produce a range of work across multiple platforms, which has both a global and/or local community impact.

This module will build on the skills and knowledge you have learned in the Live Newsroom 1 module, by introducing new techniques and more collaborative, multi-platform reporting. You will work as part of a reporting team tackling production days across multiple outlets and platforms. You’ll also be working to real-world briefs to enable you to plan and produce content in response to original industry challenges. This will give you the chance to learn about planning coverage of key events and issues in depth via a series of stories. Students will also be required to embark and reflect on a work placement as part of this module. This will allow you to create a reflective evaluation of your progression through both the module and the 70 hour placement you have undertaken, creating an understanding of your own learning and producing a plan for future development.

In this module you’ll explore alternative formats and examine the way they are challenging the traditional platforms of journalism. You will get the chance to engage with tools such as Snapchat, Youtube and Whatsapp to examine how traditional journalism is being influenced and reshaped by linear and digital platforms. This module combines theoretical study with practical production and requires students to demonstrate critical insight through research and apply knowledge by producing well-made products for a specific client or audience. The aim is to enhance your understanding of the industry and then help you to recognise how this can improve the quality of your creative and technical skills. Being able to grasp and operate within this expanding sector of the media industries will also help prepare you for the Journalism Major Product where you will face similar dilemmas and tensions between the conflicting interests at play in media production.

This module will explore the impact and value of long form and immersive storytelling. You will be introduced to a range of investigative techniques designed to allow you to explore an issue you identify in depth. Students will examine various elements that can help to create an engaging and informative piece of long form reporting, such as data analysis, in depth interviewing and human interest content. There will also be the opportunity to work in a mixed media format, bringing together different styles of reporting to give the audience a sense of the bigger picture.

Over three years of study, Global and Community Impact aims to develop skills that enable you to identify issues which impact global and or local communities and the organisations that attempt to work in these contexts. Through a mixture of critical research, journalistic practice and critical reflection, you will apply the skills and knowledge they learn to a range of relevant journalistic debates, environments and media. This will assist you in becoming flexible, resilient and reflective journalists who can produce a range of work across multiple platforms, which has both a global and/or local community impact.

This module is for students wishing to further their photographic abilities. You will explore the professional working practices and creative stylistic approaches specific to fashion photography with due consideration to the fashion media, client needs, key practitioners, as well as current and future developments that inform production.

This module is for students wishing to further their photographic abilities, exploring the professional working practices and the visual language specific to photojournalism with due consideration to the context in which photojournalists and documentary photographers, music photographers and sports photographers operate within the media industries. You will continue to develop camera, lighting and post-processing techniques to a more advanced and appropriate professional level as a complementary skillset to your media interests.

This module will encourage you to develop original ideas for innovative radio documentaries, within a recognised professional industry context. You will identify a clear target audience for your work. You will produce an individual, self-contained radio documentary with an accompanying reflective written report. A live presentation will showcase your documentary concept and its audience / station in a mock ‘commissioning’ style pitch.

This module will help prepare you for undertaking a television studio related final Major Project in your final year.

PR Planning and Delivery develops the planning and delivery skills needed to undertake a Public Relations Major Project in your third year.

Building upon on a number of media production skills established in first year, Music Industries Promotional Practices will introduce you to concepts, principles, and practices related to the promotion of music, and musical acts. In this module you will explore and develop promotion and PR techniques and gain insight into how music industries workers build successful working relationships with music and other interrelated media. You will develop a working knowledge of marketing and PR theory applied to music promotion practice and builds up your skills in promotional writing, visualisation, strategy development and campaign management. It also provides a practical insight into the organisation of tours, album and video releases and online promotion. This module develops individual and group project skills and a number of transferrable and critical skills.

The module is an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of collaboration by enabling you to create an interdisciplinary project with students from complementary disciplines, or with academic staff. Collaboration is a vital employability skill within the Creative Industries and this module allows you to develop these skills, making use of University facilities and with the support of academic staff. Within this module framework, several kinds of collaborative opportunities are available. For example, with the approval of your supervisor, you can determine a project based on your own interests; your supervisor may set you a predetermined project to enable you to work with other students in a way that is appropriate to your subject area; or there may be opportunities for you to collaborate with staff on research projects. In all cases, you must apply your subject skills to an interdisciplinary project which will be agreed in advance with your supervisor.

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and theoretically informed research project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. It is important that we can support you appropriately, so you will be guided towards choosing a research topic which is relevant to your discipline and in which your lecturers have expertise. The outcome may take the form of a written dissertation or a practice-based portfolio.

This module will build on the learning you have undertaken during the earlier Live Newsroom modules. You will work as part of a senior reporting team in your area of specialism to plan coverage of key events and issues. You will work on live industry briefs, identifying different methods of storytelling to cover a newsworthy issue or issues in depth. This will involve working collaboratively with other students and organisations to ensure coverage is comprehensive in all areas. You will be able to identify areas of interest across news, sport, music and fashion to create your own compelling narrative around these issues through the use of a range of journalism techniques developed during your previous modules. Students will be encouraged to experiment and innovate in order to find ways to connect with contemporary sources and audiences. You will be expected to pitch your chosen idea and coverage plan to your peers in order to seek support and advice alongside the traditional formative feedback methods. Students will also have the opportunity to work collaboratively with students across different levels of study where necessary in order to enhance and support the ideas being developed and pursued.

Over three years of study, Global & Community Impact aims to develop skills that enable students to identify issues which impact global and or local communities and the organisations that attempt to work in these contexts. Through a mixture of critical research, journalistic practice and critical reflection, students will apply the skills and knowledge they learn to a range of relevant journalistic debates, environments and media. This will assist them in becoming flexible, resilient and reflective journalists who can produce a range of work across multiple platforms, which has both a global and/ or local community impact.

In Journalism Innovation and Entrepreneurship, you’ll critically analyse innovations in creating and distributing content, testing methods and practices. You’ll be analysing work produced from digital newsrooms and assessing their influence of such texts and artefacts in reaching new audiences in a variety of emerging sites of engagement and outlets. These will include social platforms, immersion, gaming and visual storytelling.