This module introduces students to historical and contemporary issues in journalism, including fourth estate theory and the role of journalists in representative democracies. It uses case studies of key developments in the media to introduce students to core research and writing skills for undergraduates, giving them a toolkit for critical study of media and journalism. The module develops skills which will be used in later academic work and extended projects throughout the programme.
Contact Hours: 22
Private study: 128
Total Study Hours: 150
BA Journalism
Joint honours programmes with/and Journalism
Main assessment methods
Review of journal article (1,000 words): 50%
Essay of 2,500 words: 50%
Reassessment methods
Like for like
Allan, S. (2004) News Culture. London: Sage.
Atton, C. (2002) Alternative Media. London: Sage.
Bennett, D. (2013) Digital media and reporting conflict: blogging and the BBC's coverage of war and terrorism. New York: Routledge.
Brennen, B. (2013) Qualitative research methods for media studies. New York: Routledge
Cottle, S. (2009) Global crisis reporting journalism in the global age. Maidenhead: Open University Press
Frost, C. (2000) Media Ethics and Self-Regulation. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Pink, S. (2007) Doing visual ethnography : images, media, and representation in research. London: Sage.
Rodzvilla, J. (2002) We've got blog: how weblogs are changing our culture. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Publishing.
Walliman, N.B. (2001) Your Research Project: A step-by-step guide for the first-time researcher, London: Sage.
Stake, R. E. (1995). The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks; London: Sage.
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to demonstrate:
8.1 Knowledge of the development of media and cultural criticism
8.2 Knowledge of the key methodologies in media and journalism studies
8.3 The ability to evaluate debates surrounding key issues in media and journalism
8.4 Understanding and evaluation of different qualitative and quantitative research techniques
8.5 The ability to research, write and reference academic essays
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
9.1 Organise material and communicate clearly in written essays
9.2 Conduct research using appropriate library and web-based resources in preparation for assessments
9.3 Demonstrate an understanding of different schools of thought and the ability to distinguish them
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