BA Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism

Key details

BA BROADCAST AND MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM

Start Year

2022

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Bachelor of Arts

UCAS course code

P500

Entry Requirements

BBB

This intensely practical programme offers a career path to the dynamic and rapidly changing world of the professional journalist. On this course you will receive a grounding in the storytelling and production skills of the digital age, enabling you to work across TV, radio, print, social media and online platforms.

About

The degree is developed in close consultation with the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC). The programme teaches core general skills such as writing, video editing, audio skills, camera skills, interviewing, news package production, court reporting, longer form programme making and website production. You will develop an understanding of media law and ethics, including defamation, copyright, legal constraints and media regulation. (You will be required to pass all law assessments in years one and two to proceed to the next stages of the course.)

You will complete 15 days of industry placement as an essential part of your course. You will also participate in at least 15 days of newsroom production in years 2 and 3, closely mirroring practice within professional broadcast newsrooms. The BJTC is supported by major industry players such as Reuters, ITN, BBC, Channel 4, Associated Press, ITV and Sky News.

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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

Assessment is based mostly on evaluation of your practical work: reporting, writing, interviewing and news production. At times you will work, and be assessed, collaboratively. There is an element of essay writing which follows academic norms, but primarily you will be expected to produce publishable works of accurate, balanced journalism which comply with ethical and legal standards as practiced in the industry. In your second year, you will be examined on media law and regulation, and satisfactory performance in that exam is a requirement for graduation.

Over the course, students shall be required to maintain a personal log, recording their successful completion of various journalism and production tasks, which will each be signed-off by a member of the teaching staff.

Structure

In the first year, course modules feature introductions to core written and production journalism skills alongside initial teaching of law and ethics. As a professional journalist operating in the UK you will be expected to have a thorough knowledge of the British legal system and contemporary ethical and regulatory constraints, as these all affect news gathering and publication. There is also an introduction to contemporary politics.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching is primarily in workshops, containing elements of lecture, seminar and class discussion along with practical reporting or production activities. Some theoretical aspects or optional modules are taught under more formal lecture/seminar conditions. You will gain experience of interviewing, writing and presenting. You will acquire industry skills in shooting, recording and editing, both video and audio. You will also visit courts, councils and the institutions of government.

Independent Study
You will watch, read and listen to professionally produced news every day. The placements, which you will organise yourself with the support of the university, will give you real-world experience of modern news production. As you progress through the course, your confidence as a journalist will grow, and you will undertake increasingly sophisticated reporting and production assignments, culminating in your own extended journalism project in the final year.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 2

Structure

In your second year you will undertake core modules in news production, and will take part in newsdays and further study of media law, public affairs and industry regulation. By the end of Year 2 of the course, you will be able to:

Record and edit a radio interview and vox-pop
Record and edit an interview and vox-pop for video
Shoot and frame competently
Write broadcast cues
Write a short bulletin for broadcast
Write an online story
Upload stories online
Take publishable photographic stills
Source stills (using knowledge of creative commons licenses)
Upload text, stills, video or audio to the web
Embed audio and video in online/digital content
Understand basic media law and broadcast regulation
Use social media effectively as a newsgathering and publication tool
Live blog from an event
Deliver a two-way for radio
Source original news stories
Deliver a piece to camera
Understand basic numeracy

Industry placements will take place from the end of the second year’s teaching, including during the summer break.

Teaching and Learning

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 3

Structure

In your final year, you will draw upon the skills you have developed to produce more sophisticated forms of audio-visual content including longer form documentary production. You will undertake more newsdays, industry placements and an extended journalism project, as well as a choice of optional modules. Each year includes elements of voice and presentation training. Practical sessions in the newsroom are taught by experienced journalists and trainers with relevant professional experience. The course makes use of the department’s facilities on campus and at Epic Studios. Epic is a professional broadcast centre in Norwich where UEA currently has its own audio and HD TV studio facilities as well as access to the centre’s main broadcast studio. There is also digital timeline editing and an electronic newsroom system which, along with the video ingest and audio bulletin production capability, replicate the workflow of a professional news production centre.

Teaching and Learning

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Over the course of your degree, students shall be required to maintain a personal log, recording successful completion of various journalism and production tasks, which will each be signed-off by a member of the teaching staff.

Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

INTRODUCTION TO AUDIO VISUAL SKILLS

Code PPLM4003A

Credits 20

The modern broadcast journalist is multi skilled and is expected to be able to record, shoot and edit their material for radio, TV or online. In this module you will learn the practical and technical skills which will be further developed in years two and three of the degree.

INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY POLITICS

Code PPLX4052A

Credits 20

Politics is changing. And changing, faster than ever before. The rise of populist movements, environmental challenges, economic crises and the rise of digital politics are reshaping the relationships between states and citizens. Liberal democracy, once thought to be the triumphant political system, is under threat. This module will provide you with an overview of the different ways the subject has been approached so far to assess whether these are fit for purpose in new times. You’ll then be provided with knowledge of a series of case study countries including from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, around the world from our in-house experts. Finally, we’ll explore the nature of these challenges thematically to give you a cutting-edge knowledge of contemporary politics.

BROADCASTING

Code AMAM4032B

Credits 20

You will explore a range of audio-visual and audio formats, including television, radio and more recent audio formats, such as Internet streaming, and podcasts. Throughout the module you will be introduced to key theoretical approaches to the analysis of broadcasting content, programming, policy and regulation and reception. Areas of interest will include topics such as narrative and soundtrack, flow, seriality, liveness, innovation and funding, and domesticity.

INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM

Code PPLM4002Y

Credits 40

This module will introduce you to news industry, how it has changed and continues to evolve, and explore some of the challenges facing the news business today. You will also learn practical skill such as learning how to identify potential news stories, and come up with ideas for off-diary reports. You will learn about journalistic sourcing and research, and how to write simple text-based stories.

LAW AND THE JOURNALIST

Code PPLM4004B

Credits 20

The internet and social media has created an environment where publishing is no longer the preserve of a privileged few. But what sets a professional journalist apart from a blogger? A professional journalist needs to work within the law, and know and follow the regulatory and ethical codes of the British system. This module introduces you to the key principles involved and prepares you for more detailed study of the topic in year 2 of your course.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

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.

Assessment for Year 2

Compulsory Modules

JOURNALISM PRACTICE AND ETHICS

Code PPLM5007Y

Credits 30

In this module you will further develop your professional practice skills particularly with reference to research, written and data journalism. You will reflect on the notion of journalistic responsibility and what it means to act ethically as a journalist in an age of 'fake news' and misinformation. You will explore some of the challenges facing the news media today in preparation for your career.

NEWSROOM PRACTICE 1

Code PPLM5008Y

Credits 40

This module will allow you to develop the skills you need to work as part of a team in a modern newsroom. It will involve a number of practical workshops, as well as 15 news days in which you will work as a team to create works of journalism using text, photographs, audio and video and publish them either in a programme or online. Voice Coaching Sessions will be arranged in association with this module.

ESSENTIAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND LAW

Code PPLM5006Y

Credits 30

On this module you will learn the essential elements of media law and regulation building on on the study undertaken in the ‘Law and the Journalist’ module. This module explores the law in more detail with specific consideration of the consequences of relevant legislation for the practice of journalism. You will also learn about public affairs, which explores the functioning of government at both local and national level and is essential core knowledge for the practising journalist. This is a core module of which you must pass all assessed elements without condonement to be able to proceed to the final year of the course. One resit of each element will be allowed if necessary.

JOURNALISM PLACEMENT PREPARATION

Code PPLM5009Y

Credits 0

This non-credit module will prepare all students for their Industry Placement, and assist them in securing it.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

POLITICS IN THE USA

Code AMAH5058A

Credits 20

This module will introduce you to current trends and developments in American politics and government. But to understand contemporary events, we also need to understand the history that brought us here. In this module you will explore contemporary US politics and developments in modern American political history, underpinned by discussions about the structure and functioning of the US government from the nation’s founding to today. No prior knowledge of American politics is necessary but a general interest in the subject is advisable.

MEDIA, GLOBALISATION AND CULTURE

Code PPLM5003B

Credits 20

What role do media and communication play in processes of globalisation? How is an ever more global media creating cultural change? In this module you will explore the cultural implications of global media and culture by investigating audience practices and media representations. It begins by introducing the main theoretical approaches to mediated globalisation, before examining how these work in practice. Indicative topics include the power of global branding, global celebrity culture, global publics and local audiences, transnational cultures, and representations of migration.

LIES, ALGORITHMS AND CONCERTOS: UNDERSTANDING MEDIA AND CULTURAL POLICY

Code PPLM5005B

Credits 20

How should we deal with the dissemination of 'fake news'? What role do algorithms play in the media we consume, and is it concerning? What kind of government intervention is there in media markets and in cultural life and how does this get decided? This module will enable you to understand the dynamics and issues of media and cultural policy and how various levels of governance are involved in regulating media cultural sectors. The module will start by introducing you to public policy and policy making processes, covering multi-level governance, multi-stakeholderism, and the policy cycle. It will then enhance your understanding though deep dives into current issues in media and cultural policy, such as audiovisual media policy, arts institutions, net neutrality, harmful content on platforms, sports and premium content rights, urban regeneration through culture, evolving models of (self/co-)regulation. The module will draw on examples from across the globe and at various level including local, regional, national and supra-national policy making, with special efforts made to integrate ones from non-Western contexts. You will have the opportunity to work on real policy issues and practice professional skills in simulations and assessment activities. This module is for anyone interested in media and culture or in public policy in general. It covers topics that touch our daily lives so would be useful to anyone concerned about the shape of our society.

THE MEDIA AND IDENTITY

Code PPLM5042B

Credits 20

How do the media shape how we see ourselves? Or indeed how others see us? In a world of social media, self-branding and the increasing importance of mediated forms of identity, on this module you will explore critical ways of thinking about the relationship between culture, media and the self. Drawing on a range of theoretical approaches in the field of media and cultural studies, this module asks you to use research methods from autoethnography to content analysis to explore both their own identities and the way in which identities more broadly are formulated through contemporary media culture. Through discussing the representation of identity in media content, as well as issues of media production, regulation and consumption, you will critically reflect upon the relationship between media culture and social power and consider how social and technological changes impact on the ways in which identity is experienced in everyday life. On successful completion of this module, you should be able, at threshold level, to critically reflect upon the ways in which media texts construct social identity and should be able to discuss the relationship between media and identity with awareness for social, institutional and technological factors that shape both media production and consumption. Assessment is by group presentation and independent research project.

DIGITAL MEDIA AND SOCIETY

Code PPLM5053A

Credits 20

For better or worse, digital technologies are hyped at having revolutionised society. This module will provide you with an introduction to the ways in which the internet and other digital technologies are (and are not) affecting society from theoretical and empirical perspectives, and how society shapes technology. Topics covered include: the evolution of the internet; the network society ; regulating new media; the radical internet and terrorism; social networking, blogs and interactivity; culture and identity in the digital age; and how the internet affects politics and the media.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Important Information

Assessment for Year 3

Compulsory Modules

JOURNALISM PLACEMENT

Code PPLM6001Y

Credits 20

Relevant work experience is important for students wishing to pursue a career in journalism, and for this module you must complete at least 15 days of work placement over the course of the degree. This will normally take place during the Easter or summer vacations of year two, or exceptionally, during year three. At least one placement must be at least 5 days in duration. You will write a reflective report, commenting on your experience and what you learned from it and submit a portfolio or other evidence of the work activity carried out during the placement. Note: The University will support students in applying for placement(s) and will endeavour to introduce them to suitable placement providers whenever possible. However, it will remain the responsibility of the student to ensure that suitable placements are obtained and satisfactorily completed.

NEWSROOM PRACTICE 2

Code PPLM6002Y

Credits 30

This module will allow you to further develop the skills you will need to work, independent from your lecturers, as part of a team in a modern newsroom. It will consist of 15 news days, some of which will take place during the early summer assessment period. You will work as a team to create journalism using text, photographs, audio and video and publish those works of journalism either in a programme or online.

EXTENDED JOURNALISM PROJECT

Code PPLM6005Y

Credits 30

This module gives you the opportunity to create an extended journalism project which will take the form of a radio or TV documentary or long-form multi-media feature. You will also produce a reflective report, documenting and reflecting on your production process, its successes and its limitations. This module will include refresher sessions covering law, regulation and ethics. Voice coaching sessions will be associated with this module.

Optional A Modules

(20-40 credits)

INDEPENDENT FACTUAL PRODUCTION

Code PPLM6003A

Credits 20

If you are seeking a career in the broadcast industries and have ambitions to produce your own programmes and supply the country’s major broadcasters, then this module will set you on your way. An independent producer is much more than just a freelancer. Working to your commissioning editor, the independent producer has responsibility for all aspects of production, from deciding the content and narrative format, organising the budget, contracting the presenter – and maybe even deciding the colour of the set. On this module you will receive instruction in setting up a small business and learn how to land your first commissions.

POLITICAL JOURNALISM

Code PPLM6004B

Credits 20

This module introduces students to the complex world of political journalism. Drawing on examples, both historical and recent it will explore how politics has been reported across all media. You will learn more about the practicalities of covering UK politics and making it informative and interesting for the audience. This module will prepare you for roles as a political reporter within established news organisations, or new media start-ups. It may also be of interest to students who wish to establish a career in politics, public relations or lobbying.

Optional B Modules

(0-20 credits)

TERRORISM AND COUNTER-TERRORISM

Code PPLI6041B

Credits 20

Although the term terrorism goes back to the French revolution, it was rarely employed until the 1970’s. Contrast this with today when terrorism, it seems, is everywhere we look: in foreign policy decisions, military interventions, homeland security measures, legal frameworks, newspaper headlines, speeches and sermons, films and video games, and, of course, in university modules such as this. In this module, we engage in a critical exploration of terrorism, counter-terrorism, and the academic field of terrorism research. You will explore the history of terrorism, and engage in debates around the definition and character of terrorist violence. Is it possible, necessary, or even desirable to separate terrorism from other forms of violence, for instance? The module will introduce different perspectives on the causes, types, and threat of non-state terrorism. You will examine a range of strategies for countering terrorism, and their political and normative implications. The module also explores the emergence and contribution of critical terrorism studies, examining issues including state terrorism, gender and terrorism, cultural representations of terrorism, and the production and influence of terrorism ‘experts.’

DIGITAL POLITICS

Code PPLM6078A

Credits 20

Today's political world is more than ever influenced by digital technologies, from innovative social movements to 'fake news' and digital election campaigns. We will explore how the technologies influence political processes and how political processes in turn influence technology. We will examine the impact of digital media on electoral politics, examining key election campaigns (including recent UK and US elections) and the impact of social media, big data, and targeted advertising on their results. We will investigate how social movements (from Black Lives Matter to the Alt-Right) have been transformed through their use of digital networks. We will navigate the world of online politics, with a particular focus on the new culture wars being fought out in online environments. Finally we will explore the politics of the everyday, and the political effects of the technology platforms on which we live our online lives.

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Important Information

Entry Requirements

A Levels

BBB or ABC or BBC with an A in the Extended Project

BTEC

DDM. Excludes BTEC Public Services, Uniformed Services and Business Administration

Scottish highers

AABBB

Scottish highers advanced

CCC

Irish leaving certificate

2 subjects at H2, 4 subjects at H3

Access course

Access to Humanities & Social Sciences pathway. Pass the Access to HE Diploma with Merit in 45 credits at Level 3

European Baccalaureate

31 points

International Baccalaureate

70%

GCSE offer

You are required to have Mathematics and English Language at a minimum of Grade C or Grade 4 or above at GCSE.

Additional entry requirements

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as BA English Literature (with a Foundation Year).

Alternative Entry Requirements

UEA recognises that some students take a mixture of International Baccalaureate IB or International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme IBCP study rather than the full diploma, taking Higher levels in addition to A levels and/or BTEC qualifications. At UEA we do consider a combination of qualifications for entry, provided a minimum of three qualifications are taken at a higher Level. In addition some degree programmes require specific subjects at a higher level.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):

IELTS: 7.5 overall (minimum 7.5 in all components)

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Please click here to see our full list.

INTO University of East Anglia

If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:

Pre-sessional English at INTO UEA

Academic English at INTO UEA

Interviews

If your application tells us that you're capable and enlivened by your chosen course, we will invite you to a one-to-one online interview with one of our experienced journalists. This is a chance to meet us, discuss the course and tell us about your interest in Journalism, giving you a taste of what it would be like to study it here at UEA. You'll be asked to talk about your favourite news programme, for example, and what kind of articles you'd enjoy writing, and you'll also have the chance to talk about your current studies, extra-curricular interests and what excites you about being a journalist.

Gap year

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year.  We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.

Intakes

This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake is in September each year.

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Course Reference Number: 4479618

BA BROADCAST AND MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM