Module Code - Title:
JM5011
-
JOURNALISTIC WRITING FOR NEWS
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
Journalistic Writing News aims to equip students to tackle a broad range of news stories, including stories from interviews, documents, radio and television and lectures and speeches. It will introduce students to different styles of writing for different media.
Syllabus:
Students will learn the principles of news reporting, including grammar and working to a style book. They will learn by comparing reports in national and local newspapers and magazines. They will have extensive practice in creating news stories. They will learn to report from different sources and will practise writing intros and structuring a news story both for print and the internet. They will learn about interviewing, and will practice interviewing both in class and on their own. They will learn about newsroom practices, journalistic routines writing to deadlines.
Assessment will be by the production of a portfolio of work completed during the course, and a final timed examination.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
* demonstrate an ability to write and structure a broad range of news stories for print, the web and broadcast media.
* apply the principles of good grammar and accuracy to news writing.
* write strong intros.
* apply news writing principles to producing different types of news stories from a variety of sources - interviews, documents, radio and television, lectures and speeches.
* demonstrate an understanding of the importance of stylebooks and complying with them.
*demonstrate and understanding of good interviewing techniques.
* show an understanding of newsroom practices, hierarchy and journalistic routines.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
* show an appreciation for the effectiveness of good news writing.
* demonstrate an appreciation of taking a good shorthand note.
* appreciate the importance of complying with newsroom
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
* write a variety of news stories for different media to deadline.
* produce a portfolio of publishable news stories written during the semester.
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
This module consists of a two hour laboratory and one hour tutorial where the students will be taught the principles of good news reporting and writing strong intros.
The students will be engaged in the active learning both inside and outside the laboratory/tutorials. They will be shown how to write a variety of news stories and good intros in the laboratory and given exercises that will be repeated until the news stories are of a publishable standard.
In the laboratory, the students will be engaged in the active learning of good interview techniques by practicing them on each other and with other people outside.
In the tutorials, the students will be brought to live news situations - council meetings or public meetings - and then given a specific timeframe to write up those news stories.
The students will get a real understanding of the importance of writing sharp, concise news stories to specific deadlines.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
McKane, Anna (2006)
News Writing
, Sage
Strunk, William and White, E. B (1999)
The Elements of Style
, Longman
Bryson, Bill (2004)
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right
, Broadway Books
Other Relevant Texts:
Evans, Harold (2000)
Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers
, Pimlico
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Module Leader:
niamh.kirk@ul.ie