Posted: December 3rd, 2022

COMM5645 Journalism Theory & Research

1
COMM5645
Journalism Theory & Research
Semester one
2021-2022
Module leader: Dr Adrian Quinn
a.a.quinn@leeds.ac.uk
Room: Clothworkers’ Building North, 1.25
Office hours: Online, by appointment
Equality and Inclusion
The University of Leeds is committed to the principle of equality and is determined to treat all
students fairly, and avoid all unlawful forms of discrimination on grounds of gender (including
pregnancy, trans status or marital status), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic origin or
national origin), sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief, and age.
We recognise that, in order to enable all students to have equal access to our facilities and
educational opportunities, some students may require specialist support or adjustments (for
example, to timetables or learning materials). We therefore aim to take a flexible approach,
wherever possible, when responding to the individual needs of our students.
We work hard to meet the needs of a diverse student population and provide a safe, supportive
and welcoming environment for all. We also expect all students to work with us in making this a
non-discriminatory and inclusive environment.
If you have any concerns relating to an equality or diversity issue within the School of Media and
Communication, or if you would like to suggest a way in which we might make our practices more
inclusive, please contact the School’s Diversity Officer.
COMM5645 Journalism Theory & Research
2
Module aims & learning outcomes
This module examines the intersection between the theory and practice of contemporary journalism
internationally. Through a focus on how what we know as “news” is manufactured, we seek to
challenge conventional ways of thinking about news media and their role. Using critical approaches
to journalism practice and consumption, this module will develop a framework for assessing
journalistic output in the press and on television, radio and the internet. Students will be encouraged
to make international comparisons across societies and cultures using practical examples and case
studies. Students will also have an opportunity to develop their own skills as international journalists
and this module will contribute to building the skills required to pursue careers in journalism and/or
to engage in further academic research.
On completion of this module, students should:
i) be able to theorise journalism, its messages and the forces influencing it.
ii) be able to critically analyse the language of journalism, the social impact of journalism,
and a range of journalist practices.
iii) have a knowledge and appreciation of the range of contemporary issues affecting
journalists in their work.
iv) have a sense of news as the product of a specific set of social practices, codes and
conventions.
v) be aware of the historical, economic, political and social contexts of news production
internationally – understand the constraining influences – economic, ideological,
professional and practical – on journalistic practice.
vi) understand international news gathering and delivery.
vii) critically evaluate research about journalism and be able to engage in complex research
project ( help with nursing paper writing from experts with MSN & DNP degrees)s concerning journalism.
What’s expected of you?
Please remember to sign the attendance sheet for every scheduled session.
Attendance at every lecture, seminar, workshop, screening or other scheduled session is essential to
your success in this module. Seminars offer the opportunity to discuss and improve drafts of tasks set in
lectures: to ensure the usefulness of seminars, drafts are required for entry. Students are expected to
bring either a hard or soft copy of the reading to the seminar. You are responsible for materials covered
and resources distributed in your absence. Unexcused absence from two or more sessions may result in
the consequences outlined in the University’s Unsatisfactory Students Procedure.
Please ensure that all written and spoken communication with tutors and fellow students is of a
professional quality and an appropriate style. It is expected that written communication will originate from
your professional (student) email address, and will adhere to the standard rules of spelling, punctuation,
capitalisation and formality.
Methods of learning & teaching
The weekly lectures are one hour in duration, and are supported by a series of eight weekly seminars
and participation on Minerva.
Lectures
Lectures take place on Tuesdays at 12pm at Conference Auditorium 1 (GM.03). Lectures will be
recorded and available on Minerva.
School of Media and
CommunicationTY OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND
CULTURES
COMM5645 Journalism Theory & Research
3
Seminars
Your seminar leader is Dr Adrian Quinn. You will be assigned to a seminar group, which will meet
weekly, online. Seminars will consist of activities and discussions developed to ensure your
understanding of lecture material and to encourage the application of module concepts in your
assessment. To encourage you to engage deeply with set readings, you will produce a response of 150-
250 words each week, bringing responses to seminar to use as a basis for discussion
Private Study
Regular private study is important to succeed in this module. While the exact amount of private study
required will vary you should allocate around five hours a week to complete readings and seminar
exercises. In addition you should allocate regular time for revision and exam preparation.
Blended learning
Blended learning refers to the use of digital media to support your learning outside of face-to face
teaching. In this module we will be using the following platforms:
Minerva
Through Minerva you can access module resources, participate in discussions and ask questions about
module material and assessment. Technical problems with Minerva can often be solved by using a
different web browser or computer. Otherwise, problems should be reported to the Minerva Service
Team through the IT help desk (helpdesk@leeds.ac.uk; include ‘Minerva’ in the subject line)’.
Module schedule at a glance
Week 1 Introducing journalism theory & research
Week 2 The power elite: News International & phone hacking
Week 3 The crisis of fake news
Week 4 (your nursing study bay) Citizen journalism & the reporting of human suffering
Week 5 Peace Journalism: An international project ( help with nursing paper writing from experts with MSN & DNP degrees)
Week 6 Reading Week
Week 7 Whistleblowers & Wikileaks: An International Phenomenon
Week 8 The relationship between international journalism & global crises. A
guest lecture by Professor Chris Paterson
Week 9 It’s complicated: The Facebook news ban in Australia and how digital
media fed the beast that ate it. A guest lecture by Sherine Conyers
Week 10 USA & the legacy of Watergate
Week 11 The future of journalism: Finding a funding model for the news
Assessment
There are two assessments for this module, explained below. The School aims to return all feedback
within three weeks, excluding dates when the University is closed. Feedback and a provisional mark for
your essays will be returned in person, or by email.
COMM5645 Journalism Theory & Research
4
Literature review + bibliography (25%)
1,200 – 1,500 words
Due: Thursday, 9 December at 2pm, submitted via TURINTIN on Minerva.
Individual Essay (75%)
3,500 – 4,000 words
Due: Thursday, 6 January at 2pm, via TURINTIN on Minerva.
Marking Scale
Our marking scale for individual assessments and modules work on a 0-100 system.
Preparing for your assessments
The library provides a range of skills workshops and tutorials to enhance student learning. Whether
you prefer online tutorials or require one-to-one support, Skills@Library is available to support your
academic development, from referencing to presentation skills, group work and time management.
http://skills.library.leeds.ac.uk/
Referencing
Referencing is the acknowledgement of the sources you used when producing your piece of work.
Referencing correctly is important to demonstrate how widely you have researched your subject, to show
the basis of your arguments and conclusions, and to avoid plagiarism. You need to give the person
reading your assessment enough information to find the sources you have consulted. This is done by
including citations in your work and providing a list of references.
You are expected to use the University’s version of the Harvard referencing style for your assessments.
Guidance on how to include citations within your text and how to reference different types of material
using the Leeds version of Harvard is provided here: http://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills-referencing.
Submitting your assessments
Work submitted for assessment should be double-spaced and should include a front-page with your
student number, module name, title of assessment and word count. Work is marked anonymously so do
not identify your name anywhere on your work. Submit written work electronically using Turnitin via the
Minerva ‘submission area’ for the module by 2pm on the due date. Please name the file you upload with
your student number, module code and assessment (e.g. 200912345 COMM1205 Portfolio). Late
penalties are applied at a rate of five marks per day.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your assignment has been correctly uploaded to Minerva. Errors
made in uploading your assignment can have a substantial impact on your mark, including a mark of 0
for non-submission. The only acceptable proof of submission in the digital receipt issued by Turnitin (no
other forms of evidence can be accepted as proof of submission). Please ensure that you receive a
digital receipt and keep it safe as proof of your submission.
Please allow plenty of time for submission. It can take some time for your file to upload because of the
number of people uploading files at the same time. If possible use Chrome, Firefox or Safari as your
browser and submit your file as a pdf (if this is appropriate to your assignment). Don’t try to upload more
than one assignment at a time as this can result in errors
COMM5645 Journalism Theory & Research
5
DO DON’T
 Transfer your document to PDF where
possible.
 Leave yourself enough time. Uploading
documents can take time.
 Use a wired connection.
 WAIT TO GET A RECEIPT. No receipt: no
submission.
 Keep clicking. Click once and wait for the
page to load.
 Try to submit multiple documents at the same
time. This can lead to mistakes.
You can find further information here on how to ensure that you submit correctly:
https://www.leeds.ac.uk/vle/students/assess/eassessment/ If you do encounter a problem contact the IT
service desk https://it.leeds.ac.uk/
You can find further information here on how to ensure that you submit correctly:
https://www.leeds.ac.uk/vle/students/assess/eassessment/ If you do encounter a problem contact the IT
service desk https://it.leeds.ac.uk/
Further information on assessments can be found in the School Code of Practice on Assessment
(CoPA), available in the Media and Communication organisation area of the Minerva:
https://vlebb.leeds.ac.uk/
Re-sit arrangements
If you do not pass this module at the first attempt, it is possible to re-sit. Please note that if you are
required to re-sit any assessments for the module the form of the assignment could differ from the
questions/instructions outlined here. Do not start work on any re-sit work until you have received
instructions from the School Office. Further information on re-sits, including deadlines, is available from
Taught Student Administration: http://students.leeds.ac.uk/info/10121/marking_results_and_resits
Student Feedback
Student feedback on modules helps us to improve your experience as well as the experiences of
future students. You will be invited to complete a module survey at the end of the semester but
you submit suggestions at any time by contacting the module leader.
COMM5645 Journalism Theory & Research
6
Marking Criteria for Postgraduate Written Work
The following criteria are applied to all postgraduate written assessments. Markers will assess your work as a whole and use their
academic judgment to weigh the criteria and arrive at a final mark. To achieve a particular grade, a piece of work does not have to
achieve all criteria. Your module leader will explain how the criteria apply to particular assessments and inform you of any additional
assessment criteria.
Knowledge & understanding Intellectual skills Presentation & referencing
 Depth of knowledge and
understanding of relevant
concepts, issues and evidence,
including cutting-edge research
and scholarship
 Accuracy and precision of
interpretation
 Breadth and/or depth of reading
and research as relevant to the
assessment task
 Ability to critically analyse and
evaluate concepts, issues and
current research
 Ability to develop clear
argument
 Ability to apply knowledge and
techniques of research and/or
advanced scholarship which are
relevant to the assessment task
 Ability to develop independent
ideas and insights
 Ability to express ideas clearly
and fluently and to use
appropriate style, vocabulary,
and visual illustrations where
relevant.
 Appropriate use of academic
formats and conventions,
including referencing
80–100
High
Distinction
Outstanding knowledge and
understanding of relevant content.
Accurate and precise
interpretation. Evidence of
outstanding breadth and/or depth
of reading and research and
demonstrates full mastery of
specialist and cutting-edge
content.
Outstanding intellectual skills.
Sophisticated critical analysis and
Assessment. Outstanding argument
and use of theoretical and empirical
material. Demonstrates full
intellectual independence and
contributes to broader academic
debates.
Outstanding presentation.
Exceptionally well written work that
is clear, and fluent at all times.
Demonstrates an excellent
command of appropriate academic
formats and conventions.
70-79
Distinction
Excellent knowledge and
understanding of relevant content.
Accurate and precise
interpretation. Evidence of
substantial breadth and/or depth of
reading and research as relevant
to the assessment.
Excellent intellectual skills.
Thorough and incisive critical
analysis and Assessment. Excellent
argument and integration of relevant
theoretical and empirical material.
Demonstrates full intellectual
independence.
Excellent presentation. Very well
written work that is clear and fluent.
Demonstrates an excellent
command of appropriate academic
formats and conventions.
60-69
High Pass
Good / very good knowledge and
understanding of relevant content.
Accurate and precise
interpretation. Evidence of good
breadth and/or depth of reading
and research as relevant to the
assessment.
Good / very good intellectual skills.
Good critical analysis and
Assessment. Effective and wellsustained argument, which is
relevant to the assessment.
Demonstrates intellectual
independence.
Good / very good presentation.
Well written work that is generally
clear with few errors. Demonstrates
a good command of appropriate
academic formats and conventions.
50–59
Pass
Fairly good knowledge and
understanding of relevant content,
although there may be a lack of
precision and accuracy in
interpretation. Evidence of fairly
good breadth and/or depth of
reading and research as relevant
to the assessment.
Fairly good intellectual skills. Some
relevant critical analysis and
Assessment, but may not always
pursue ideas clearly or develop a
sustained argument. Demonstrates
a degree of intellectual
independence.
Fairly good presentation. Adequate
written expression, although there
are weaknesses. Demonstrates a
fairly good command of appropriate
academic formats and conventions.
40–49
Fail
Unsatisfactory knowledge and
understanding of relevant content.
Some accurate interpretation, but
includes significant errors and/or
irrelevant content. Limited
evidence of relevant and
appropriate reading.
Unsatisfactory intellectual skills.
Demonstrates limited critical
analysis and Assessment and tends
to rely on description. Lacks a clear
argument or the argument is weak
and only partly relevant. Work lacks
evidence of intellectual
independence.
Unsatisfactory presentation.
Intelligibly written work, although
there are some major weaknesses
and the writing is sometimes
unclear. Limited command of
appropriate academic formats and
conventions.
0-39
Low fail
Poor knowledge and
understanding of relevant content.
Characterized by major
misinterpretation, inaccuracy,
omissions and/or irrelevant
material. Lacks evidence of
relevant and appropriate reading.
Poor intellectual skills. Lacks any
critical analysis, Assessment or
argument that is relevant to the
assessment or it is extremely weak.
Work lacks any evidence of
intellectual independence.
Poor presentation. Written
expression is unclear and very poor,
with major weaknesses and/or
substantial problems and errors in
use of academic formats and
conventions.
COMM5645 Journalism Theory & Research
7
Readings
All readings for this module will be made available on Minerva.

Order | Check Discount