The rational for this module is rooted in the professionalisation of journalism supporting higher standards in news coverage, analysis and commentary. The expanding industry for news media is evolving in dynamic ways and it is essential early career journalists are prepared to enter the industry with core skillset and knowledge. As early career journalists demonstrating and building credibility and trust with subjects and audiences to establish themselves as reliable and responsible professionals. To achieve this journalism students, need a comprehensive and focused approach to developing their specialised skillsets such as interviewing techniques, digital research, social monitoring and cross-cultural representation. Furthermore, professionalisation of journalism supports innovation in the sector as early career journalists adapt and experiment with new technologies, techniques and topics as well as establish their own publication, podcasts and other media outlets. This module takes a student centric perspective and is designed to develop the key, foundational and transferable skills and principles of news media production. The purpose of this module is to ensure that students gain experience in both core and emerging skillsets that are essential to success in the modern news industry. These include digital research and social monitoring, observational reporting in courts and politics, fact checking and verification, sub editorial and editorial, production, publication and enterprise.

This module consists of a series of workshops focused on developing core professional and transferable skillsets in the sector and gain further experience in professional publishing. This module is designed to support sustainability and advancement in the news media job market as well as gain experience in the daily and broader life of newsrooms and freelancing. Workshops cover the key practical skills, • Interviewing, live coverage, press conferences • Political and Courts coverage • Social Monitoring, fact checking and verification • Photography and news design • Investigative journalism • News markets, Freelancing and Enterprise • Professional Associations and Networks

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: • Apply and adapt core research and news gathering skills for a range of projects. • Demonstrate a high level of digital literacy. • Engage in editorial and subeditorial decision making. • Apply core principles and innovation in news content design. • Develop project management and production experience.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: • Demonstrate independence and capacity to produce self-driven projects. • Manage a small team to produce a section of a publication and gain experience in different roles within and across news teams. • Demonstrate and articulate ethical values behind journalism, professional integrity and journalisms role as a public service.

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This programme is underpinned by and explores the concepts of journalism and professional development through critically reflecting on, evaluating and developing journalistic practice. This is an active workshop-based module with a strong practical focus. Over the course of the semester students will attend 3-hour long workshops focused on key critical areas of professional development. Workshops will be delivered by lectures and expert guests with extensive experience (Graduate Attribute: Curious). Participants engage by articulating their news values, ethics and goals in the media sector and rationalise these through developing their journalistic skills and journalistic philosophy and by developing a journalistic portfolio of work (Graduate Attribute: Articulate). By exploring and discussing a diverse range of critical issues collaboratively, participants share and compare practices, and develop their knowledge of how scholarship applies in journalism and media. These workshops are focused in key transferable skills within the media and communications sector. In this regard the module develops student ability to be adaptive, responsible and flexible, e.g. in planning investigations and producing multimedia content (Graduate Attribute: Agile). In this module students will be introduced to the applied aspects of journalism ethics and public interest as well as gain experience in working through complex issues in their practice. It engages students in critical evaluation of news media with regard to representations, equality, diversity and inclusion. Students will take on journalism and editorial roles for the Limerick Voice newspaper and will take the lead and produce their own magazine (Graduate Attribute: Responsible). Finally, through building their own stories and developing a public service approach to journalism by publishing in a way that hold authorities to account, participants will be enterprising and innovative in their practice, (Graduate Attribute: Courageous). In Journalism Studies reflective practice is important to incorporate to support the development of responsible, articulate and confident journalists. The in-class and independent activities incorporate reflective practice on their own development and areas where they need to progress. This allows students to feedback into the evolution and optimisation of the module and facilitates students ongoing ability to learn to learn. To support the development and demonstrations of how these graduate attributes develop to potential employers or funders, students will have two opportunities to produce live journalism. • Students will work on the Limerick Voice online newspaper, participating in our annual Live News Day by taking on editorial roles and producing news reports. • Through a team project, students will produce a magazine by taking on editorial and production roles, writing long form and investigative articles; designing content for impact, and distributing it through key digital media channels.