International Multi Media Journalism, MA

International Multi Media Journalism, MA

Duration: Full-time only - 12 months

Newcastle University in collaboration with

Press Association logo

Accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council

Introduction

One of Britain’s finest universities and the nation’s premier news agency have produced a unique masters programme tailored to meet the needs of journalists in a multi-media world.

Students will work on the city-centre campus and at The Press Association’s offices in the heart of a regional multi-media publishing business.  Students will also spend time at The Press Association’s cutting-edge training centre next to its international headquarters.

The first students joined in September 2007. See what previsous students have to say about this programme here

The Masters combines the strength of the university’s academic staff offering high quality scholarship in the field of media with The Press Association’s strength as the UK’s leading editorial training organisation.

cameramanStudents will be taught by the professionals who train journalists on such world-famous British newspapers as The Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror, and many other international, national and regional media organisations.

This is a unique opportunity to combine first-rate scholarship, and vocational training in multi-media journalism in a real-world commercial publishing environment.

International students are particularly welcome. The programme is set within an international context and aimed at students from all over the world.

Accreditation of the Programme

The International Multi-Media Journalism programme is fully accredited with  Britain’s Broadcast Journalism Training Council – BJTC.

Read some of the things BJTC Accreditation Secretary Steve Harris had to say in his report on our programme:

‘… such is the innovative structure of this degree that there is already a higher level of practical engagement, particularly in the third semester than most other equivalent courses in conventional Universities … the conventional MA dissertation and final project in the third semester has been replaced by a highly intensive practical (course) of what is, in effect, full time multi-media journalism…..’

‘…. this is an unusual, even a unique course ….… the decision to work in partnership with the Press Association, one of the largest news agencies in the world, with its own well run and experienced training department has been a major coup….’ 

‘….It was something of a coup for the course that BJTC arrived on a day when some outstanding research by one of the students had produced the front page lead in that evening’s issue of the Newcastle Journal, not to mention extensive coverage in the national media.….’

‘The new media centre at the King George VI building has now been completed.  It’s a multi-purpose newsroom, production suite and teaching facility.  It’s fully networked and the students have access to a full range of multi-media software …  at the Press Association Training centres the students have access to a multi media centre, with cameras and editing equipment, plus, of course Howden has its own £500,000 virtual studio.’

‘I had the opportunity to go through the first Media Law paper set for these students and it is refreshingly wide ranging, dealing not only with basic law – like contempt of court but also touches on other significant issues like copyright, censorship on the internet and investigative journalism….’

‘We have commented elsewhere on the strong network of support which the University has built up over the year and the active involvement of Diane Nelmes is just one outstanding example …..’

Outline Programme

This Masters programme is distinctive in terms of the kinds of employment opportunities it offers throughout the news and information industry. In particular, the course deals with the new multi-media operations which require talented, analytical journalists equipped with highly transferable skills and able to work across the media spectrum.

The MA in Media and International Multimedia Journalism is aimed at two types of student:

  • International; European and British students who wish to build on skills gained at undergraduate level, and take a new direction. You will have the opportunity to embark on a programme that combines the development of both practical skills in journalism and the analysis of the social, economic and cultural contexts of the media
  • Trained journalists who wish to engage in serious academic study at Masters level. You will have the opportunity to develop a sophisticated analysis of the role of the media in today’s global society and acquire a range of cutting edge practical skills in the field of multimedia journalism.

Coursework and assessment

Teaching and learning will be delivered through workshops, lectures, seminars, and field trips and students will be assessed on their work in the form of essays and highly practical assignments and projects featuring video and audio. They will be expected to produce portfolios of work from their industry-based training, which will form a key part of the assessment process. Students are expected to work both independently and in groups, and to read widely, participate actively in discussions and develop topics for investigation based on advice from tutors. The journalism modules on the programme are taught in a dedicated PC cluster which uses the Adobe CS4 Master Collection.

  • Modules are assessed by coursework which consist of essays, oral presentations, reports, projects and dissertation. A Masters’ degree is made up of 180 credits in total. Each module is worth 20 credits.

All students will study the following:

Structure of the programme:

  • Students spend the first two semesters at Newcastle University, completing 120 credits of compulsory and optional modules, in a traditional academic format (lectures, seminars or practical workshops). Depending on module choices, this amounts to three of four modules per semester.
  • Over the summer, students will spend about 12 weeks over the summer at the Press Association Training Centre in Newcastle and Howden, East Yorkshire. This is an intensive professional training, covering three compulsory modules and it takes place in a nine to five work environment for the whole period of the training. Students should be prepared not book any holidays during this period. The Press Association will provide accommodation during the training period in Howden and this is included in the overall fees. We would recommend to students to book their accommodation in Newcastle for the entire duration of the programme - from September until the end of August the following year.

Student Work

Recent samples of student work on the COM8069 Multimedia Journalism module are now available as live web links. (NOTE: most links will require an Adobe Flash-player enabled browser.)

The brief for 2009-10 students was to produce a multimedia package based on 'diversity in Newcastle' - three contrasting pieces capturing the cultural apsects of Newcastle were:
*Art and About in Newcastle, 12 hours, 12 lives and ToonAsia.

The brief for student work in 2010-11 was more varied. Topics were wide-ranging:
* local charities and communities - Ouseburn Volunteers, Help for the Homeless, Jesmond Community Fesitval, and St Nicholas' Cathedral parish;
* the local Chinese community - Chinese Cuisines and The Star and Shadow Cinema;
* Newcastle's arts and cultures - John Martin at the Laing Art Gallery, a unique jazz bar in Newcastle and Newcastle United Football Club; and
* covering local events - a record of the 2010-11 student protests.

During the training at the Press Association, our students have the chance to produce substantial pieces of journalism that gets published in local newspapers like The Journal or The Evening Chronicle.’ This year Stephanie Feng, Kelly Huscroft and Ben Robinson have published in total four articles. Click on the links to view (Ben Robinson's article; Kelly Huscroft's article; Stephanie Feng's articles Article-1, Article-2)

International Multi Media Journalism and the BBC

BBC logo used with permission

Newcastle University and the BBC are working together to develop new talent, enhance our students’ learning experience - and expand their opportunities for employment in media industries.
The University and the BBC have signed a partnership agreement as the corporation starts its major move into MediaCityUK - the modern, multimedia broadcast and production centre in the North of England – and strives to better reflect and represent the whole of the UK.
The partnership will be of particular interest to students on our Masters programmes in International Multi-Media Journalism and Media and Journalism because:

  • Senior journalists from the BBC will run master-classes at the University;
  • The BBC will act as consultants on our programme development to help us remain in the forefront as major changes take place in the media world;
  • There will be opportunities for students to undertake work experience at the BBC - although the number of these places will be limited.

The BBC’s new centre at MediaCityUK in Salford will be home to around 2,400 staff and five important London-based departments will be making their new homes there - including two TV channels and two radio stations. These are:

  • BBC Children's (including CBBC and CBeebies)
  • BBC Formal Learning
  • BBC Future Media and Technology
  • BBC Radio Five Live (including Five Live Sports Extra)
  • BBC Sport

Careers

Opportunities exists in established media organisations, including newspapers, specialist and trade publications. Students will also find that their knowledge and skills are transferable to a range of related fields, providing career opportunities in public relations, marketing, and other media and culture industries.

Visiting Professor in Media and Journalism

Diane NelmesONE of Britain’s most highly respected media executives and investigative journalists is joining the Media and Cultural Studies team at Newcastle University as Visiting Professor in Media and Journalism.

Dianne Nelmes is internationally renowned as one of Britain’s most innovative and successful television programme creators and developers. She has worked at the highest level in TV journalism and current affairs, and we expect our students in media and journalism to benefit greatly from her knowledge, skill, insight, advice and enthusiasm in workshops, projects and seminars.

Dianne is a graduate of Newcastle University – in Politics and Economics – and during her time here was both Editor of students’ newspaper Courier, which last year celebrated its 60th anniversary, and President of the Students Union.

Dianne is Managing Director of Liberty Bell Productions – an internationally known documentary maker based in London and Newcastle, which has made programmes for   BBC1, BBC2, BBC4, ITV1, ITV2, Channel 4, More 4, Channel 5, Sky Arts and Discovery – and other channels around the world.

For five years until September 2008, Dianne has been Director of Daytime and Lifestyle Programming at ITV, Britain’s independent television company, for five years and before that she was ITV’s Controller of Documentaries and Features and Granada Satellite Television’s Director of Programmes.

Dianne launched Jeremy Kyle, Trisha Goddard, Vanessa Feltz, Jerry Springer and the stars of lunchtime talk-show Loose Women on British TV. She was responsible for This Morning, You’ve Been Framed, Stars In Their Eyes and network factual drama series In Suspicious Circumstances.

When Dianne left Newcastle University, she started as a reporter on The Journal newspaper in Newcastle, moved to local BBC news programme Look North and then to World in Action, perhaps Britain’s hardest-hitting and most influential investigative documentary series of its time.

She rejoined the BBC as a producer/director on national current affairs series Brass Tacks, but switched back to Granada to take over as executive producer of World in Action.

As Controller of Documentaries and Features for ITV, Dianne commissioned a wide range of programmes, many initiated by her – notably Kelly And Her Sisters – an exposé of child poverty in Great Britain which won every major Television award: BAFTA Single Documentary; RTS Documentary; Broadcast Single Documentary and the prestigious Grierson Documentary Award.

Dianne is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society, a member of BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Student Testimony

An MA International Multimedia Journalism Graduate

Name: Ai YangAi Fang
Job Title: Reporter


I started working for China Daily a few months after completing my degree in Newcastle. I’m now based in Beijing and my job is to cover international news, which requires frequent contact with top Chinese and international officials, as well as experts and analysts on hot current issues. I have to say my job has indeed brought me onto a whole new level and truly enabled me to see more, know more and think more about many things.

If you are passionate about journalism and have an overall positive attitude for challenges, then I’d recommend the International Multimedia Journalism course to you.

I have always felt the value of the course and liked what I was taught both in university and at the PA training center, however it was not until after I started my journalist job at China Daily when I began to appreciate the experience even more – the hands-on practices, mock-interviews and lots of other very practical exercises helped me get used to the new work environment quickly. Everything was a first time to me, but on the other hand thanks to PA they also felt kind of familiar.

Although my job is mainly to do with print, China Daily has a very up-to-the-minute website too, with multimedia content as well as traditional news on. Having learnt how to page-design, film, edit and even present in front of the camera gave me the extra knowledge, and allowed me to do a better job with more confidence.

Another thing I must say is that during the course I have made some very good friends who I still keep in touch with today. We spent some lovely summer time in York doing filming and studio work (and drinking). I would never have had met or had so much fun with them were it not for the common dream and choice of place to study we shared. They have definitely spiced up my whole experience and to them, the University and PA I owe a hearty thanks!


Entrance requirements

  • Candidates should normally hold a first or second class honours degree.
  • Equivalent qualifications from overseas.
  • Equivalent experience is also acceptable. For example, equivalent qualifications, notably the professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, or relevant work experience will be considered.
  • Applicants with professional/industrial experience and /or training but who do not meet the normal requirements will be considered on their merits.

English Language requirement

On entry to the MA programme, students must have a qualification equivalent to level 6.5 for English Speaking Union.

  • IELTS score of 6.5 (with minimum 6.0 in Writing and Speaking and a minimum of 6.0 average for a conditional offer)
  • TOEFL IBT (Internet-based test) overall score of at least 90
  • Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English

If you are a non-EU student, the University provides a unique support service tailored especially for the masters programme. It takes the form of an intensive orientation course, starting in early September, with ongoing tutorials and workshops. This support initially helps to orient you to the British learning environment, explores cross-cultural expectations and introduces you to study skills necessary for the master's programme.

Fees

Please visit the following link for up to date fees; Current Fees

A deposit of £1500 is required after the acceptance of the unconditional offer from the university. Without the payment of this deposit, we cannot guarantee a place at registration. You can pay the deposit once you have received an unconditional offer through the application portal.

Note: This course can only take a maximum of 28 students and is only available based on minimum student numbers.

Staff

For the quickest and easiest way to apply

Visit our postgraduate online application site at:
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/

Please note that there is now a £25 non-refundable application fee for each applicant. Each applicant can apply for more than one of our Masters courses in Media after making a single application fee payment. Application fee payments can be made at the University’s Webstore.

For any queries about admission to this programme please email pgadmissions@ncl.ac.uk.