ALJ111 - Introduction to Journalism

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:

Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)*

Trimester 3: Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Alison McAdam
Trimester 3: Kristy Hess
Cohort rule:Nil
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: ALJM111
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

Trimester 1:

Burwood: 1 x 2-hour seminar per week

Geelong: 1 x 2-hour seminar per week

Trimester 3:

1 x 5-hour seminar (week 1), 1 x 4-hour seminar (weeks 2, 5, 6), 1 x 5-hour seminar (week 10)

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

Online and independent learning activities including 1 x 2-hour seminar equivalent

Note:

*Community Based Delivery (CBD) is for National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute students only.

Content

Discover what it’s like to be a journalist and produce multimedia news stories. In this unit you will learn about news values, researching, interviewing, editing and photojournalism. You will produce your own news stories that cover issues that interest you. The stories you produce in this unit will be a written news story for print or online, and your own audio news story for radio or podcast. You will meet deadlines and learn about the social, professional and legal contexts journalists work within. 

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1

Identify, develop and research engaging news stories

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO2

Arrange and carry out successful news interviews

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

ULO3

Sort and sift the material gathered to identify the key news points

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

ULO4

Write a news story in direct, effective, engaging style with strict attention to factual accuracy as well as accuracy in punctuation, spelling and grammar

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

ULO5

Develop an awareness of the legal and ethical framework that journalists operate within in Australia

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1 - Research file 800 words
or equivalent
20% Week 4
Assessment 2 - News story 1600 words
or equivalent
40% Week 8
Assessment 3 - News story 1600 words
or equivalent
40% Week 11

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via ALJ111
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place.

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