Journalism Studies and Politics - BA (Hons)

University of Stirling

By the end of this course students should have: A knowledge and understanding of the key political institutions in the West and why they vary. A solid grasp of key concepts used in the study of comparative politics. A critical awareness of the interaction between the various institutions. A better understanding of the political process in the UK by comparing the structure and functions of British institutions with those in similar countries in the Western world.

It is now often suggested that we are living in an age of ?convergent media? ? that is to say, media that bring users, content, technologies and experiences together in new and interesting ways in the digital realm. This module is about how networked digital media bring together people and ideas, texts and images, and technologies and industries in new ways. In FMSU9A4, we will explore such topics as interpersonal communication on social media, the relationships between media technologies and cultural change, and audiences as creative producers. We will discuss how media audiences are accessing, creating, editing, organising, sharing and collaborating on media in new ways. Most of you will already be familiar with many of these practices. This module will engage the concepts that underpin such practices and we will test these concepts by doing some of these things as part of our assignments, experimenting with a range of online media tools to bring theory and practice together. You should not think of this course as a series of separate topics, but should instead be alert to connections and continuities between weeks ? as you progress through the semester, compare and contrast, and try to make connections between ideas.

This module is concerned with studying key issues in political theory. Topics include: What are the grounds and limits of our duty to obey the government?; What is the purpose of good government?; What are the origins of property rights?; What role should liberty and equality play within the political realm? and What is the relationship between economic and political equality? These themes will be explored through the social contract theories advanced by Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, Mill's defence of individual freedom in 'On Liberty' and Marx's conception of history and his critique of capitalism.

This module covers mainstream theories of international relations, analyses key global actors and international organisations, and explores contemporary issues and debates in contemporary world politics.

By the end of the module students will be able to: Demonstrate competence in the selection of photographic events and scenes and the depiction of symbolic visual discourses. Demonstrate capacity to recognise a visually newsworthy event keeping in mind its relevance to the audience. Demonstrate a medium level of ability to control and make effective use of photographic equipment, proving competence in procedures and techniques of photographic software processing and photography in general.

If you want to create, share, or analyse media content, you need to consider who isengaging with it, how and why. Thismoduleputs the audience in the spotlight and looks at different approaches to media use as a social phenomenon undergoing significant transformations.

This practical module is an introduction to the fundamental skills required for professional journalism. Participants will develop an understanding of how news articles are structured, written and presented. As a core module for the journalism programme. In workshops, students will practice writing briefs, introductory paragraphs and short news stories. Attention will be paid to grammatical and language-oriented elements. On successful completion of the module, students will be able to write an appropriately structured news story quickly and accurately, one of the fundamental skills of professional journalism. The course involves weekly one-hour lectures and two-hour workshops.

This practical module introducesyouto different journalistic genres,general reporting and specialisms including sport, finance and business, travel and long form journalism.You willget the opportunity to develop interviewing and research skills as well as writing in a range of different formats. These skills build on the foundation created in earlier modules and expandyourwriting repertoires, creativity and confidence. Hands-on workshops giveyouthe opportunity to developyourown style of writing in different areas.

The news industry has a significant impact on our lives. It is a multi-billion poundglobal industry that helps set the political, social and cultural agenda. Thispracticalmodule looks behind the scenes at how news organizations determine what is news, and how they then present it to readers. It looks at who the key players are and how they operate.

An understanding of law, government and the regulatory framework is critical if you are to have a career in the media. Delivered by an expert in the field, this module will prepare you for the challenges of being a working journalist into today?slegal and regulatory minefield.

Students have the opportunity to study optional modules in this year.

Students have the opportunity to study optional modules in this year.

Documentary Production is a dissertation level practical production module. Students work in groups to create short video or audio documentaries to a high technical and editorial standard. Work produced on this module has gone on to win national awards on several occasions.

In this module you will carry out and write up a research dissertation with one-to-one guidance from a supervisor. You will apply the knowledge of research methods and practice acquired in FMSU9A7 to complete the project proposed in the Autumn module.

This module is the culmination of the journalism programme and provides an opportunity foryouto showcase their talent. Producing a 10,000-word work of journalism requires tenacity, dedication, creativity and resilience and can be a very rewarding.You willwork one-on-one with a specialist supervisor on a topic ofyour choice.You willconduct interviews, evaluate information, gather data and research and then write up a substantial body of work in a journalistic style. Project participants often submit their work to student journalism awards and use their projects as a key component to their portfolios post-graduation.

The dissertation enables students to develop and apply accumulated knowledge and skills to a self-chosen project. Supervisors are typically allocated in mid-April (semester 6) and students can start their research during the summer months if they wish to do so. Regular supervision meetings - based on a compulsory assignment in semester 7 and subsequent chapter drafts - begin in mid-September. A final rough draft of the dissertation is due at the end of February (semester 8) and the final dissertation at the beginning of April.