MA Broadcast and Digital Journalism UK

On this UK-focused version of our Broadcast and Digital Journalism Master’s you will gain the practical skills of modern journalism, particularly broadcast and online, with a focus on UK journalism practices, political systems and media law.

You’ll explore the rapidly changing world of the professional journalist, and gain the knowledge to navigate the complexities of UK media law and ethics. You’ll work in modern TV studios, explore mobile journalism, develop online content, and record interviews and news reports.

If you have an inquiring mind and are passionate about news and UK current affairs, this course is for you. Whether you’ve developed an interest or specialism from your first degree, or are thinking of pursuing a career in general news journalism, this course will give you the space to develop your skills, as you research, write or present the stories you find.

Because of the need for journalists to collaborate with each other, and to engage with the public and various other groups and authorities, course activities will be under constant review and amendment during pandemic conditions. Face to face activities and teaching will be preferred whenever possible, although online delivery will be adopted if necessary. Some teaching will take place virtually.

About

This MA programme is designed to equip you with the core practical and theoretical skills of journalism and electronic communications, preparing you to work in the communication industries or a related career. It will also help you develop the ability to reflect critically on the nature and limitations of news coverage.

You’ll undertake in-depth study of UK law and public affairs (including media law and regulation), as commonly required by prospective employers in mainstream UK journalism.

In addition to your Master’s Extended Journalism Project, you’ll undertake compulsory modules that will arm you with practical skills, give you an understanding of ethical journalism, and help you see the role of the media from a broader perspective. You’ll also select an optional module to further your specific interests.

You will practice interviewing, reporting, video, radio and broadcast production, and learn how to develop and structure news stories for different media. The course normally includes talks by invited professionals, and visits, which in the past have included political and media destinations, both locally and in London. (These activities are subject to review, and may be altered or cancelled as a consequence of the COVID pandemic.)

Our School is home to internationally recognised experts, and you will have access to their knowledge in the fields of public affairs, politics, international relations and cultural change.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

In addition to your practical Master’s extended journalism project, you will be assessed through a range of coursework assignments. As well as a limited number of formal essays, you will work on individual and collaborative media presentations and productions. And you’ll develop an online portfolio of your journalism work, which will be a valuable addition to your CV.

Some of your modules may include course tests, and at times you will be required to produce journalistic work under observation for assessment purposes.

Structure

This Master’s course is made up of a number of core practical modules, which run throughout the year, as well as an optional module and an extended journalism project.

Our compulsory extended module in Broadcast Journalism will provide you with a thorough overview of all aspects of mass-media journalism, reporting and editorial, as well as technical production elements such as audio recording and editing, camera operation, sound, video editing, and studio practice. You will be expected to generate your own stories, and to go out into the local community to research and produce them. This includes practice of radio news features and bulletin production. In the event of continuing pandemic conditions, some of these activities may be delivered virtually.

Our Contemporary Journalism: Practice and Ethics module is designed to give you further practical experience of the issues and techniques of journalism, particularly as they relate to developing content for online news and information sites. It will enable you to develop your reporting and writing skills, as well as instilling appreciation of the proper ethical framework for your journalism. You will look at how newsrooms are run, the reporter’s working day, and how stories are found and developed. And it will allow you to examine changes within the industry.

You will take Essential UK Public Affairs and Law for Journalists. As well as studying media law and regulation, you will survey the judicial system of England and Wales and a journalist’s rights and responsibilities within it. The public affairs section of the unit covers the principal elements of the UK political system. You will discover the rights, responsibilities and techniques of a reporter. You will develop a critical understanding and familiarity with UK current affairs, exploring the reporting of issues such as national identity, citizenship, cultural diversity and the role of the media in such matters. You will gain an awareness of the legal precedents established in online practice (now a core element of multi-platform journalism) and how they are gaining more widespread application.

In addition to your compulsory modules you’ll choose one optional module, selected according to your interests and specialisms.

Towards the end of your course you will complete an Extended Journalism Project, which is an opportunity for you to produce a video, audio or multimedia (text plus media elements) project that is both a substantial piece of journalism and a demonstration of your broadcast production skills. You will also reflect on the development and practical execution of your project. The subject and format of your practice-based project will be agreed in discussion with a supervisor. Modern digital video, audio and editing equipment will be available to you for this project, shared with other students.

Teaching and Learning

The practical aspects of this course are taught by experienced broadcast journalists. You will take modules that look at journalism and journalistic ethics, TV, radio and online news production. You will study the stories of the day to see how working journalists are interpreting and developing their role.

Independent study

You’ll support your learning with your own reading and investigation. You will also be expected to immerse yourself in published broadcast, print and online news. And you will regularly research your own stories and media projects. On average you should allocate ample time to the following of media sources (newspapers, radio, TV and online news and current affairs) each week, and additional hours for reading recommended books and other texts.

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Assessment for Year 1

Some of your modules may include course tests, and at times you will be required to produce journalistic work under observation for assessment purposes.

Compulsory Modules

CONTEMPORARY JOURNALISM: PRACTICE AND ETHICS

Code PPLM7011Y

Credits 40

This module will demystify the closed world of the professional journalist and enable you to understand what gets into the news and why. It enables you to develop practical skills and techniques in the production of different forms of journalism (in an age of media convergence, the ability to produce good clean written copy is equally as important as the production of multi-media assets). Regular practical exercises will help you develop reporting skills for ethical journalism and techniques of online presentation required to ensure access to an audience. You will consider the historical development of journalism, primarily in the West, the development of new forms, such as Online, and the challenges facing journalism in the contemporary environment. You will also develop your own online presence. The module will normally include a number of talks by industry practitioners from a variety of backgrounds. Journalism is a rapidly changing profession, and lecture topics are frequently updated to reflect technical, practice, regulatory and other developments. Assessment tasks may also be varied to meet current circumstances.

BROADCAST JOURNALISM

Code PPLM7010Y

Credits 40

You'll develop a wide understanding of all aspects of radio and television news journalism and production. Core topics include reporting on camera or sound for broadcast outlets, audio and video editing, camera work and studio and location production techniques. You'll develop practical production skills such as bulletin preparation and writing to picture. As well as individual production, and so far as pandemic circumstances permit, you'll collaborate in small teams on the production of radio and TV news programmes and reports. You will learn about Mobile Journalism (MoJo) using mobile phones in a professional way, and video or audio production for Social Media platforms. The module will also investigate ways broadcast journalists have adapted to pandemic conditions, particularly by wider use of distributed or online production techniques. Journalism is a rapidly changing profession, and lecture topics are frequently updated to reflect technical, practice, regulatory and other developments. Assessment tasks may also be varied to meet current circumstances.

ESSENTIAL UK PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND LAW FOR JOURNALISTS

Code PPLM7012Y

Credits 40

Teaching in the law sessions will survey the legal system of England and journalists’ rights and responsibilities within it. Though largely scenario-based teaching, you will learn how law and legal process impact upon newsgathering and publication for print and audio-visual media. Taught sessions will reflect on the principles of democracy, defamation, intellectual property, freedom of the press, freedom of information, press and broadcast regulation and the public interest in relation to news coverage. Pandemic conditions permitting, practical sessions may include visits to Magistrates and/or Crown Courts. Public affairs sessions will study the structure and operation of British central and local government. The principal elements of the UK political process will be taught, including electoral processes, the role of elected representatives, civil servants, politicians, political parties, finance, and government. You will be given opportunity to practice the rights and responsibilities of journalists reporting politics. So far as pandemic circumstances permit, students shall attend and/or report political proceedings and events. Media law and its application are continually developing, and lecture topics are frequently updated to reflect practice, regulatory and other developments. Assessment tasks may also be varied to meet current circumstances.

EXTENDED JOURNALISM PROJECT

Code PPLM7018X

Credits 40

The Extended Journalism Project allows students opportunity to demonstrate their ability to produce (research, record or shoot, edit, script and voice) a work of broadcast journalism - video or audio - to a professional standard. As a guide, and unless otherwise agreed, your project deliverable (which will be due towards the end of the summer period) will be a substantial work of TV or radio broadcast journalism, or a ‘long read’ text article containing multimedia elements for online delivery. Video or audio submissions will normally be 15-20 minutes in duration. Video projects will normally be in the form of an extended reporter piece or documentary; radio programmes may take the format of a long-form feature or documentary. A submission in the optional ’long read’ format will include all the elements required for publication of a text and multi-media package online. Whatever the format, the work will examine and relate a story in some detail. Parts of the production process may - by agreement with your supervisor - involve (mutual) collaboration with fellow students in technical areas, such as camera operations or recording, but the editorial content must be your own. Normal professional standards of referencing and sourcing, as generally practised in works of journalism, are expected. You will produce your report in accord with any professional or official Health and Safety guidelines in force at the time. You will also produce a reflective report, documenting and reflecting on your production process, its successes and its limitations. Earlier in the year, you will submit a proposal, outlining your story and how you intend to approach it, which will also be assessed.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

TELEVISION AND SOCIETY

Code AMAM7016A

Credits 20

For nearly a century television has been the dominant global cultural force. Despite newer technological innovations, such as the internet, television remains a medium consumed by billions. Its social and cultural impacts are profound, and in this module you will examine the relationships between television and society. Key to engaging with this idea is exploring the purposes to which television has been used. A highly-regulated medium, in many countries it is mandated with fulfilling social purposes, such as educating citizens or serving to bring nations together. Why has television been given these roles, when most other cultural forms haven't, and what implications does this have? You will study a wide range of television's output in order to unearth how its social purposes play out in the kinds of things it broadcasts. To do this you will explore key ideas for thinking about television's representations, such as the conventions of particular genres, or debates about realism and naturalism. You will develop skills in textual analysis, with the purpose of identifying television's social functions via its texts. The module will enable you to engage with ongoing and persistent real-world debates about the impacts of culture generally, and the purposes of television in particular. It will develop your critical and analytical skills, situating these squarely within culturally-specific debates.

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Code AMAM7018A

Credits 20

This module introduces you to key skills in video production and provides them with the opportunity to take an idea from conception through to the final product, deepening their knowledge of the processes and procedures behind the camera. You will engage with questions about the cinematic expression of narrative, exploring them through practice-based coursework. Students wishing to take this module should have previous experience of video production, though the module will offer basic technical training with digital-video cameras and the Avid non-linear editing system.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE

Code PPLC7007B

Credits 20

Do you wish to pursue a career in international management and relations, multilingual business, or international development? Are you interested in becoming a more effective communicator in other professions such as translation, interpreting, education, and cultural mediation? In this module we will explore the issues fundamental to intercultural communication (IC) in practical contexts. You will examine the different ways of thinking about effective communication in a variety of work/organisation-based environments. During the seminars/lecture series, invited practitioners will introduce you to how IC operates in specific organisations, including government agencies or in multilingual business management. On completion of this module, you will have developed the linguistic skills, cultural competence, and critical thinking required for the production of an extended research project in intercultural communication. You will also have acquired a sense of how cultural assumptions may influence communication with others from different backgrounds, and developed a greater willingness to enter into dialogue with the values prevalent in cultures other than your own.

THE FOREIGN RELATIONS OF CHINA AND JAPAN IN THE MODERN WORLD

Code PPLI7007B

Credits 20

The module looks at the history of China and Japan from the mid-19th century to the present day. You'll cover the attempts at modernisation, conflict between the two nations, their relationships with the Asian region and the United States. You'll also investigate their contrasting attempts to develop in the postwar period. In addition, you'll assess their current policies and the issues of importance to China and Japan in the 21st century, and explore whether they can move beyond the legacy of this difficult history.

EUROPEAN UNION: POWER, POLITICS AND POLICY

Code PPLI7013B

Credits 20

What is the European Union: an international organisation, a federal political system or something else? Who rules the EU: the European Commission or its members states? What is the concrete impact of EU policies on EU citizens? Is the EU a global power? In an era of crises, will the EU survive? To address these questions and more, you will examine: the origins, development and recent history of the European Union; the dynamics of EU decision making: and critically assess the key theories, models and concepts used in the study of the EU. You will also examine the working of EU policies in key areas, such as the single market, economic and monetary union (the Euro), energy and climate change, international trade, and security and defence. You will explore the role and internal operation of the EU institutions, as well as the interaction between the EU and the member states, including what the obligations of membership imply for member countries and what these means for state sovereignty and democracy. You will look at the relationship between the EU and its neighbours (including the UK), the global south and world powers. Finally, you will debate some major challenges the EU is facing, from the Eurozone and migration crises to Brexit and to the EU's response to COVID-19. This module is suitable for students politics & public policy as well as international relations, as it covers themes that cut across both disciplines and draws from both public policies and IR theories.

UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL MEDIA

Code PPLM7000A

Credits 20

Digital technologies are often hyped as revolutionising society. You will be introduced to the ways in which the internet and other digital technologies are (and are not) affecting society from theoretical and empirical perspectives. The module is divided into three blocks: the first introduces the theoretical debates surrounding digital media; the second discusses how our everyday interpersonal relations are affected by digital media; the third addresses the impact of digital technology on media and politics. Topics covered include: the network society; social networking and virtual communities, surveillance, digital journalism and online activism.

STUDYING MEDIA

Code PPLM7004A

Credits 20

This module is intended to provide you with an introduction to the key study skills in media and cultural studies. It will be particularly useful if you are unfamiliar with the British university system and its expectations. You will apply theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary media texts and discuss recent scholarship on changes in the global media and cultural landscape.

GENDER AND POWER

Code PPLM7015B

Credits 20

Providing a conceptual overview of feminist research approaches, you will examine contemporary gender and power relations. You will examine both the formal and informal power structures that shape the experience of gender. Bringing together the fields of media, sociology, politics and cultural studies, the module explores the extent to which feminist theory informs gender-based activism.

PUBLIC RELATIONS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND THE MEDIA

Code PPLX7005B

Credits 20

This module enables students to develop an advanced understanding of the theory and practice of public affairs, interest intermediation, and the strategies used by interest, advocacy groups and others to influence the political process. As well as covering the main debates in the academic literature, it draws directly on the experience of practitioners and offers unique insights into this under-studied area of politics.

FREE SPEECH

Code PPLX7007B

Credits 20

You’ll examine one of the pressing issues of political theory, constitutional law, democracy, and media regulation: why is free speech important and what if any should be its limits? You’ll compare and contrasts the conditions of free speech in China, the UK, and the United States. You’ll be introduced to some of the classic defences of free speech found in the writings of J.S. Mill and the judicial decisions of Oliver Wendall Holmes. Following on from this you’ll examine the question of free speech as it relates to freedom of the press and new media. You’ll also explore the question of the limits of free speech, particularly in relation to hate speech. At this point you will have a chance to examine human rights instruments and laws pertaining to the issues, including the ECHR, the Human Rights Act 2008, and the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2008, as well as a range of legal cases from courts across the world. You’ll be exposed to a range of deeper ideological debates among liberals, libertarians, multiculturalists, and critical theorists. The approach will be multidisciplinary drawing on politics, philosophy, and law. The format will be a two-hour class each week, comprising research-led teaching, seminar discussions, practical exercises, textual reading, balloon debate, and essay writing and research-skills mini-sessions. The assessment comprises of formative feedback on the presentation of an essay plan and summative assessment of two essays.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

Bachelors (Hons) degree - 2.1 or equivalent

Degree subject

Any Subject

Additional entry requirements

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact university directly for further information.

This degree is particularly suitable for applicants who have gained an area of specialist knowledge at first degree level, and who wish to combine that with broadcast journalism expertise, opening up for themselves the possibility of a career in the media, perhaps as a specialist reporter or broadcaster.

The course is not suitable for students who have previously taken a professional qualification, such as an NCTJ or a BJTC Accredited Course. Such students, wishing to take a higher degree and extend their theoretical knowledge of Journalism and the Media, are advised to apply for the MA Media Culture and Society.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 7.0 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
PTE (Pearson): 76 (minimum 64 in all components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests.

INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk.