Writing for news aims to introduce students to the broad range of writing in journalism across multi media news platforms. The module will introduce a broad range of writing skills for both print and online news outlets. It aims to teach students to write short news reports and breaking news stories for a variety of publications, including local and national newspapers and websites.

Students will learn the principles that underpin best journalistic practice and the core skills required for news writing. In the practical labs students will learn the fundamentals of news reporting, including grammar and working to a style book. They will learn by comparing reports from various national and local news outlets. They will have extensive practice in creating news stories. They will practise writing intros and structuring a news story both for print and online publication. They will learn about newsroom practices and journalistic routines from a number of key industry leaders during guest lectures. They will consider the work of leading news and feature writers and their distinct styles. They will write short profiles of people in the news. Assessment will be by the production of a portfolio of work completed during the course, and a final timed examination.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: write and structure a news story; apply the basic principles of accuracy and good grammar to news writing; apply the principles of news writing to general reporting; demonstrate an understanding of newsroom practices, hierarchy and journalistic routines; compare and contrast the work and style of leading news and feature writers; write short profiles of people in the news; recognise how national and local media treat the same story in a different manner.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: demonstrate an appreciation of the essential principles of good news writing; display an understanding fn how the same story is treated differently across multi media platforms and by local and national news outlets.

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The module consists of a three-hour laboratory where students will be taught the theory and practice of good news reporting. The students will be engaged in active learning both inside and outside the laboratory and brought to cover real life press events by the tutor where they will get opportunities to critically reflect on and evaluate real life journalistic practice (Graduate Attribute: Curious). In the laboratory, students will be divided into groups and given specific news writing exercises each week that will be re-written again and again until they are up to a publishable standard. Students will have to write a short report on the local council meetings and public meetings they attend (Graduate Attribute: Articulate). Students will learn the basic tools of writing, clear, concise, sharp news stories to deadlines from workshops to live news situations within a 24 hour news cycle (Graduate Attribute: Agile). The in-class and online activities allow participants to actively engage in reflective practice and discussion. Delivery of the programme relies on the application of open educational practice principles along with sharing and critical evaluation of participant outputs with regard to equality, diversity and inclusion. Students will learn to adhere to the principles that underpin best journalistic practice (Graduate Attribute: Responsible). Students will be enterprising and innovative in their practice and approach to journalism work and encouraged to critically consider and question sources. (Graduate Attribute: Courageous).