MCH1037 : Introduction to Multimedia Journalism
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Mrs Katy McDonald
- Co-Module Leader: Ms Sarah Drummond
- Owning School: Arts & Cultures
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module allows students to develop their multimedia content skills. It encourages students to consider multimedia journalism production in relation to technologies, genre, convention, audience, grammar and form, and ethics. The assessment procedures outlined below mean that students work to deadlines and engage in practical, journalistic activities. The topics in this module may include:
Newsgathering for multimedia platforms
Writing online news
Audio recording and editing
Video recording and editing
Multimedia technologies and influences
More specifically this module aims to:
1. Provide students with an introduction to multimedia journalism practice.
2. Equip students with the skills necessary to capture video audio and written media content, and to conduct elementary, editorial processes and sequencing.
3. Allow students to demonstrate abilities in effective journalistic communication.
Outline Of Syllabus
Topics may include:
Introduction to critical multimedia production practice
The fundamental (technical elements) of multimedia journalism
Introduction to writing for online
Introductions to recording and editing audio and video
Principles of multimedia journalism and effective multiplatform story-telling
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 3 | 0:50 | 2:30 | First half of module - introduction to journalism |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Present-in-person - these will immediately precede the weekly workshop . |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 11 | 7:30 | 82:30 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 12 | 6:00 | 72:00 | Engaging with documentaries, journalism and readings related to module learning |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Full-module-cohort assessment activity (e.g. press conference or guest speaker) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Workshops (present-in-person) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 4 | 2:00 | 8:00 | Copy clinic/ Supported production skill work - led by student voice |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Students produce a piece of multimedia journalism containing three media elements (audio, video and digital/online), with teaching of journalism plugging in to the learning as appropriate.
Learning and teaching supports students through iterative and informed skill acquisition, which guides the learning experience. In addition to the formative assessment, which provides scaffolding to the learning process and encourages students to manage their time and project, student-led journalistic work guides the module with feedback and feed-forward through small-group teaching within workshops and sharing of content with peers.
This provides the fundamental training, skill acquisition and assessment needed for multimedia journalism practice.
Teaching on this module is supported by voluntary drop-in sessions where students can receive iterative feedback on journalism work and technical support. This may be PiP or online but will fall under the structured non-synchronous discussion and guided independent study categories. It is also supported by learning activity as part of the Civic Journalism Lab workshop and guest lecture series, which students are offered opportunity to attend remotely.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design/Creative proj | 1 | A | 100 | A piece of multimedia journalism containing video, audio, digital images, writing, and online/digital elements (which has been granted ethical approval and has a relevant newsgathering risk assessment) |
Zero Weighted Pass/Fail Assessments
| Description | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | M | An ethical request must be made by the deadline set; it must be updated in line with approval feedback and reflect any change of topic, to reflect the submitted assignment. |
| Written exercise | M | A risk assessment must be made by the deadline set and before newsgathering activities take place for the assessment piece; it must be updated in line with approval feedback and reflect any change of newsgathering activities; it must be relevant to the submitted assignment. |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 1 | M | Students will submit draft proposals of ethics document and relevant risk assessment - for feedback. Final summative assessment of these is based on accurate completion of each document. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Assessment one (100%) (K1, K2, K3, S1, S2)
A piece of multimedia journalism presented as a digital article containing 600 words of copy and multimedia elements which must include still images, an embedded 90-120-second video piece, and a embedded 90-120-second audio piece which has a supporting image and introductory text.
Students will provide a short 'publication profile' outlining their intended target publication and its target demographic.
Ethical approval and risk assessment sign-off must each be gained and maintained accurately in relation to the journalism and newsgathering activities. These assessments (ethics forms and risk assessments) are not graded and therefore do not contribute to the module mark but must be passed in order to pass the module.
Additional task-specific criteria are as follows:
- Accurate and clear storytelling, including journalistic writing and a variety of smoothly edited shots, sounds and voices;
- Implementation of web-based technologies and technical skills appropriate for multimedia contexts.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MCH1037's Timetable