Unit Outline

From the newsroom to the live stream, the news industry combines top-level communication skills with the ability to evaluate and synthesise knowledge for large audiences. In this unit, students are introduced to both the theoretical and practical dimensions of the news industry. Students are introduced to media research methods, and will build an understanding of the local, national and global contexts of news media and its connection to politics and society. They are also introduced to the craft of news writing, including research and interviewing, to produce news stories for various platforms. At the end of the unit, students will have developed an understanding of news as practice and production.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Explain key concepts and debates in journalism and media studies
2.	Analyse news media texts from local and global perspectives
3.	Apply journalistic techniques and conventions, such as research, interviewing and verification, to write or produce ethical and creative news content
4.	Synthesise analytical and research skills to articulate the functions of news media in society from local and global perspectives

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	HEJ255 News Contemporary Practice and Analysis AND HEJ355 News Contemporary Practice and Analysis

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Oral pitch for portfolio of news stories	Week 4	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Portfolio of news media	Week 7	30 %	LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Breaking news with social media.	Week 11	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:	Reflexive essay	Week 13	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Oral pitch for portfolio of news stories

Task Description:

Develop a pitch to a news editor for two proposed news stories.

Task Length:

400 Words

Due Date:

Week 4

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Apply journalistic concepts to demonstrate the news values of the stories	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Identify how your news story ideas are appropriate for the target publication/s	LO1, LO3
3	Clearly answer questions related to your pitch	LO1, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Portfolio of news media

Task Description:

Write 1-2 original news stories ensuring each has recognisable news values, more than two sources of information and adheres to ethical production.

Task Length:

1200 Words

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Gather information from a range of sources, including interviews, direct observation and documents	LO3
2	Adhere to stylistic conventions of the target publication/s	LO2, LO3
3	Apply tenacity to research compelling stories and secure interviews and/or source suitable quotes	LO3, LO4
4	Ability to follow news writing (and production) conventions in the use of description, anecdotes, introductions, conclusions, speech and style	LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 3: Breaking news with social media.

Task Description:

Using a news conference conducted live in class, write a news story for an online platform of your choice, ensuring it has recognisable news values and adheres to ethical production.

Task Length:

400 Words equivalent

Due Date:

Week 11

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Accurately synthesise information from the news conference and media release to write a breaking news story	LO1, LO3
2	Identify a target platform for your work and adhere to stylistic conventions	LO1, LO2, LO3
3	Apply journalistic practice, including news values and ethical and legal frameworks, to the production of media content	LO1, LO3

Assessment Task 4: Reflexive essay

Task Description:

Discuss the process and decisions behind the production of your news stories throughout this unit. Elaborate upon and contextualise your news stories and reflect on your practice and that of other journalists. Alternatively, in consultation with the unit coordinator, you might focus the essay on a related scholarly question or problem in journalism studies and draw on your journalistic practice as examples.

Task Length:

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Understanding of content and context for your journalism	LO1, LO2
2	Awareness of and capacity to integrate relevant approaches and theories of news studies into your journalism	LO2, LO3
3	Use of appropriate academic references and correct use of Harvard referencing style.	LO2

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.