Journalism with Content Creation with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

The primary aim of this module is to develop the fundamental building blocks of story skills necessary for a career in journalism. This module seeks to introduce you to digital storytelling techniques and tools, ensuring you are well-versed in contemporary methods of news dissemination.

This module aims to introduce you to the practical foundations of video and radio broadcast production. The primary objectives are to equip you with essential technical skills, foster an understanding of production processes, and develop your ability to create professional-quality broadcast content in line with industry standards and regulations.

On this module you will be introduced to the institutions and practices of journalism and broadcast journalism in the UK, and the analysis of journalistic output across a range of formats, including newspapers, TV, radio programming, and social media.

During this module, you will develop your speaking and storytelling skills, with the aim of enhancing your understanding of how journalists work across various platforms.

Dive into the world of audio production and storytelling through podcasts. Enhance your voiceover skills, audio recording, sound design and web design/publishing skills.

This module equips you with practical skills for producing journalism content across radio, TV/video channels, and social media platforms. It aims to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills through real-world journalism scenarios and challenges, through weekly news days.

On this module you will be introduced to the systems and main players in local, regional, national and European/international government as it applies in the UK. You will also have an opportunity to visit a number of political meetings during this module.

The module will cover and enable discussion on a range of legal topics and how they relate to journalism. These include freedom of speech and its caveats, defamation, official secrets, obscenity, the law of contempt, children in the news, privacy, copyright, freedom of information and the role of regulatory authorities.

In this module, you will participate in work experience in a media sector organisation. This may include Print or Online publishing, TV, Video, Audio, Online, PR, production/publishing companies or channels. 

In this module, you will be introduced to foundational theories and concepts related to international news. You will become well-acquainted with a variety of transnational news networks and the influences on their news agendas. You will explore how news operates in diverse social, cultural, economic, and political contexts, and examine the role of news in different societies across the globe.

This module equips you with the skills required for creating diverse types of journalistic content for various digital media platforms. The module is designed to develop your abilities to communicate complex information clearly and engagingly across various digital platforms. 

This module allows you to operate in the dynamic and fast-paced environment of a professional newsroom, through weekly news days. The module will instil a strong understanding of ethical journalism practices and professional standards specific to radio, TV, online and social media news production, and allow you to develop strategies for engaging diverse audiences across different media platforms. 

This module explores key theories and debates on how diversity is constructed, represented, and understood across global media. It focuses on news media portrayals of race, ethnicity, gender, culture, and disability. You will gain a strong conceptual foundation to practice inclusive, culturally aware, and responsible journalism.

This module will allow you to maximise the use of IT tools and data to support digital storytelling. You will learn the basics of a discipline that is growing in strength and importance; data journalism. This includes learning where to find data, how to critically analyse it, and how to maximise chances for shareability and interactivity. At the end of the module, you will have a solid understanding of the opportunities provided by data journalism in the digital age.

Choose from:

Project (Journalism): The project is a significant endeavour that integrates the practical and theoretical skills and concepts you have acquired across all your modules. You will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of individually produced journalistic artefacts, ensuring that your work is both original and distinct from any previous submissions. The primary aim of this module is to challenge you to push your skills to their utmost limits, ultimately producing a piece of work that meets professional standards. This work will serve as a pivotal showcase of your abilities, acting as a calling card for your future career.

OR

Dissertation (Media): During the course of the first semester's classes and workshops, you will develop a research question, consider different research methods, explore how to structure an effective argument, and reflect upon the content of your proposal. This will help you to decide upon the topic of your dissertation and will support you to develop the research skills you need to successfully pursue a research project moving forward.

This module allows you to develop creative skills in photography, including composition, lighting, and editing. It will also equip you with the ability to produce compelling visual stories that adhere to journalistic standards and ethics. Finally, you will produce photographic assignments and projects relevant to the evolving news media landscape.