JRM4905 - Advanced Writing for News Media

Leader: Elizabeth Hart

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2007 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2007 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit develops and refines skills in reporting and writing news and feature articles for mainstream media including print and electronic media. Theories on the construction of news provide a framework for students to analyse narrative styles in various mass media, to consider the historical and social foundations on which those styles have developed, and to develop their understanding of cultural influences and new technologies on the evolution of media writing. Students produce articles in news or feature style to publishable standard and will be able to adapt those articles to the various forms of news media.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate:

1. The ability to research and write pertinently for mainstream media outlets in print and electronic forms, to publishable standard, and to communicate effectively to achieve this.
2. An understanding of the relationship between writing styles and effective reporting.
3. An understanding of the ways journalists can construct news as a representation of reality.
4. Knowledge of the historical, cultural, corporate, political, and technological frameworks that have steered the evolution of media writing.
5. The ability to apply appropriate theory to the analysis and evaluation of the many dimensions of news coverage and to understand their implications for contemporary societies.
6. Knowledge of media writing theory over the past century.

Assessment

Essay (3,500 words) : 40%
Folio of articles to publication standard or equivalent for electronic media (3,500 words total) : 40%
Seminar presentation (on campus students) Or Discussion paper (off campus students) (2,000 words) : 20%

Contact hours

1 two-hour seminar per week