Overview

An introduction to practical journalism course provides students with fundamental skills and knowledge necessary for a career in journalism. It covers topics such as news writing, interviewing techniques, writing for different media and how to structure a story. The course is designed to help students develop a strong foundation in journalism, while also providing hands-on experience through practical exercises and assignments.

In this course, students will learn the basics of writing a news story, including how to craft intros, drop intros, and lively intros. They will also explore what makes a good news story and where stories come from, as well as how to build a contacts book and conduct an interview. Additionally, students will study writing for TV and radio, as well as color and feature writing. An introduction to shorthand will also be covered. Finally, the course will teach students how to deal with breaking news and deliver accurate and timely reports.

Assessment Strategy

threshold -D: An appreciation of journalistic writing and researching An appreciation of journalistic values An understanding of the essentials of preparing for and conducting an interview An understanding of the nature of the free press A fair ability to write newspaper articles and news programme scripts

-good -B: A sound appreciation of journalistic writing and researching A sound appreciation of journalistic values A good understanding of the essentials of preparing for and conducting an interview A good understanding of the nature of the free press A sound ability to write newspaper articles and news programme scripts

-excellent -A An excellent appreciation of journalistic writing and researching An excellent appreciation of journalistic values An excellent understanding of the essentials of preparing for and conducting an interview An excellent understanding of the nature of the free press* An excellent ability to write newspaper articles and news programme scripts

Learning Outcomes

• Analyse, interpret and communicate news events

• Choose suitable interviewees and demonstrate effective interviewing methods

• Organise and present information appropriately for a press release

• Organise information to create descriptions and explanations of news events

• Recognize the appropriate journalistic styles for the press, TV and radio