Registry

Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2012 - 2013
Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Journalism Skills
Module Code	CM537
School	School of Communications
Online Module Resources
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Description

To enhance awareness of the nature of reporting and its demands on the specialistTo develop practical skills needed to achieve clear communication of complex issues in mass media

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate the ability to articulate the role of a free press in a democratic society.
2. Be able to craft straightforward news stories from multiple sources
3. Distinguish, in theory and in practice, among major types of journalistic output, including news stories, features and profiles.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the major dimensions of the Irish code of professional journalistic practice and the role of the Press Ombudsman in implementing that code.
5. Generate, report, write and edit professional quality local news stories.
6. Understand and be able to craft opinion and commentary pieces.
7. Work with basic statistical tools of surveys and polls

Workload	Full-time hours per semester
*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Lecture	24	lectures
Assignment	110	reporting and writing news stories and other forms of journalistic content
Independent learning	90	reading, listening and viewing news content from multiple sources across multiple platforms
Total Workload: 224

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Journalism.
This is a class in the essential skills all journalists must possess. It will present present theory in lecture, followed on by multiple writing assignments in news, commentary, features and other forms of contemporary journalism.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Course Work Breakdown
Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assignment	regular written assignments covering a wide range of journalistic styles and forms	60%	Every Week
In Class Test	stylebook test	10%	Every Week
In Class Test	numbers test	10%	Every Week
Essay	essay on the role of a free press in a self-governing society	20%	Every Week

Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Harold Evans: 2000, Essential English, Pimlico, London, 9780712664479
David Marsh (Editor): 2009, "Guardian" Style, 2d rev, Guardian Books, 9780852650868
Richard M. Jaeger: 1983, Statistics, a spectator sport, 2nd, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, Calif., 0803921721
Wynford Hicks, with Sally Adams, Harriett Gilbert and Tim Holmes: 2008, Writing for journalists, 2d, Routledge, 9780415460217
Daniel C. Hallin, Paolo Mancini: 2004, Comparing media systems, Camberidge UP, 9780521543088
[edited by] G. Stuart Adam, Roy Peter Clark: 2006, Journalism, Oxford University Press, New York, 0195182073
Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel: 2001, The elements of journalism, Three Rivers/Crown Publishers, New York, 0609806912
Melvin Mencher: 2003, News reporting and writing, 9th, McGraw-Hill, Boston, 0072564970
The Missouri Group: Brian S. Brooks... [et al.]: 2002, News reporting and writing, 7th, Bedford/St. Martin's, Boston, 0312396988
Samuel G. Freedman: 2006, Letters to a young journalist, Basic Books, New York, 0465024556