01. Students acquire rudimentary skills and knowledge in the operation of cameras, editing software, sound recording equipment and lighting in a studio and onsite location.

Activities:

Students practice the skills in these areas after instruction and demonstration. They plan, instigate and co-ordinate the sophisticated use of all of this equipment in a self-directed large group task.

Related graduate capabilities and elements:

Creative Problem-solving(Creative Problem-solving)

Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)

Teamwork(Teamwork)

02. Students develop an appreciation of the social production of newsgathering, production and distribution through the process of a news production simulation. In particular students will consolidate skills associated with; the management of time, equipment and people; building team and individual responsibility and refining interpersonal techniques required for interacting with a wide variety of the public and members of the media community.

Activities:

Students engage in a semester-long simulation game to produce a professionially appearing television news program. This requires work in a variety of teamwork configurations ranging from small groups of 2-3 to a large group of 25 which is directed at solving the set task, meeting the fixed deadline and setting aside personal differences for the bigger objectives. Students engage in a process of critical self reflection on their own work and others commentary on that same work.

Related graduate capabilities and elements:

Teamwork(Teamwork)

Creative Problem-solving(Creative Problem-solving)

Speaking(Speaking)

Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)

03. Students evaluate the ethical, legal, commercial and industrial context of news production and distribution and reception

Activities:

Students reflect on their own practice and case studies which focus on these concepts.

Related graduate capabilities and elements:

Inquiry/ Research(Inquiry/ Research)

Creative Problem-solving(Creative Problem-solving)

Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)

04. Students will be able to write an analytical essay based on the close examination of a single professionally produced and broadcast television news story

Activities:

Students will read and apply research concepts and ideas about news in tutorials and class discussions

Related graduate capabilities and elements:

Writing(Writing)

Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)

Inquiry/ Research(Inquiry/ Research)

05. Students will demonstrate an introductory understanding of several methods of cultural analysis which may be applied to news and its importance over time in society.

Activities:

Students practice tasks associated with semiotic, narrative and cultural analysis with a range of cultural artifacts and objects and then applies these ideas to a contemporary news item.

Related graduate capabilities and elements:

Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)

Creative Problem-solving(Creative Problem-solving)