APG5099 - Media innovation - 2017

The unit is for students interested in freelance journalism to develop the skills to be self-sufficient and successful in the modern era.

Historic changes are sweeping through the media industry, causing the old empires to shrink. There are many positive aspects to this revolution, including a much greater diversity of voices and more engaging and creative ways for journalists to tell their stories while involving their audiences in stimulating and fruitful interactions. At the same time, the new outlets are smaller and, while continuing to publish, are struggling to understand what will unfold in the next chapter in the history of journalism. Many graduates now see the need to develop skills in freelancing, marketing and running a business in an era when the cost of setting up a global/local publishing vehicle is close to zero.

Upon successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:

1. Be able to establish and maintain a journalism blog capable of attracting attention in a global marketplace.
2. Have a strong understanding of the marketing and business issues associated with a presence on the web.
3. Develop a proposal for a web presence within a commercial framework.
4. Establish a web presence within a commercial framework.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 288 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Deb Anderson

Communications and media studies

Journalism