COMS102-21S2 (C) Semester Two 2021

Introduction to News and Journalism

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 19 July 2021
End Date: Sunday, 14 November 2021
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 1 August 2021
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 1 October 2021

Description

This course provides students with an understanding of the forces that shape the selection and presentation of news. It introduces significant theoretical approaches that seek to explain what is news and the criteria by which it is selected; it explores key aspects of the production of news and analyses specific areas of news (foreign, political, sport and crime) in more depth.

This course introduces students to the study of journalism. You will learn about: how the news works; issues and constraints that journalists face; and how the news is changing. Among the major ideas threaded through the course are the independence of journalists, the way technology shapes what journalism can do, the position of the news within society and politics and the double orientation of news producers towards public service and selling a product. Learning will take place largely through active engagement with the news, including brief tasters of doing journalism.

Learning Outcomes

  • On completion of the course you should be able to:
  • understand how news is produced and the major forces shaping its production
  • identify ideas of quality journalism
  • construct arguments about the power of journalism within society
  • discuss how news is changing
  • reflect on the role of technology in journalism
  • interpret media content in terms of production dynamics
  • critically analyse media content
  • work individually and in small groups on information-gathering and analysis
  • develop basic news skills

      • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Daniel Nielsen

Lecturer

Tara Ross

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Newswriting task 1 13 Aug 2021 5% rewrite a press release into a news story
Newswriting task 2 27 Aug 2021 10% write a news story for a student audience
Newswriting task 3 08 Oct 2021 15% write a profile of an individual or group
Essay 24 Sep 2021 25% essay: reporting on M?ori
News analysis 22 Oct 2021 10% analyse a piece of journalism related to a concept covered in lectures
Exam 25% test of understanding of the course's key ideas
Tutorial patricipation 10% 1.5% per tutorial attended up to maximum of 10%


We require only electronic copies of assignments submitted via Learn (no paper
copies). We will return assignments electronically too.

Textbooks / Resources

There are required readings on Learn, accessible on the page for each week.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $785.00

International fee $3,500.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All COMS102 Occurrences

  • COMS102-21S2 (C) Semester Two 2021
  • COMS102-21S2 (D) Semester Two 2021 (Distance)
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