Overview
Public Relations and journalism are inextricably linked. An understanding of the complexities of the modern digital media environment is critical because it shapes the work a public relations practitioner performs and the manner in which it is undertaken. This unit provides you with a range of contemporary perspectives on Australian and international media industries. It analyses political and social contexts, important issues such as media ownership, diversity and independence, as well as identifying professional and technological changes in media practices and organisations. The unit encourages an understanding of the institutions and industries in which media practitioners work and demonstrates how public relations practitioners can work outside established news organisations through social journalism. As an important part of public relations practice, the unit also promotes research, verification and writing skills (both in an online and offline context) in order to further your training and awareness.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Minimum of 36 credit points
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2023
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student Unit Evaluation Survey T2 2022
Students reported that their experiencing navigating the unit Moodle site was straight forward and supported their learning experience
Continue to update Moodle site with a focus on the student experience
Feedback from Student Unit Evaluation Survey T2 2022
Some content in the unit is inaccessible (i.e links, or has changed to rely on subscriptions)
Review learning material on an ongoing basis, especially seeking for content which is not flagged as a 'broken link' but becomes otherwise inaccessible
- Analyse examples of contemporary journalistic practice in Australian and international contexts
- Review coverage of controversial current affairs in the mediasphere
- Critically evaluate the effect of social media and technological development on media industry practices and ethics, with a social journalism focus.
n/a
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Group Discussion - 20% | |||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | |||
| 3 - Portfolio - 45% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Group Discussion - 20% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 45% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Microsoft Teams
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.johnson2@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Understanding how the media works and how society interacts with and builds on the information portrayed in media is essential. The way we consume news and media has evolved, and the digital era has changed journalism, that much is for sure. But how does this affect journalism’s role in society? Is journalism still a powerful force in culture? What does this mean for you as a future journalist?
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Now that we have been introduced to media industries and how they contribute to society via the mediasphere, we’re taking a closer look at how news operates – from the state of modern journalism to the way that news has value and how news choices influence an audience.
We will also start looking at the concept of Social Journalism as it relates to modern journalism practice, including how developments such as social media, paywalls and video are impacting the industry's relevance and effectiveness.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
After refreshing our understanding of news values, this week we take a closer look at the nitty-gritty of news – writing, language, and editing.
A good journalist needs a mastery of the English language – so this week we look at the technical aspects of writing for the news across all media. We also look at the importance of style, and how audiences need to differentiate news and advertising through style.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Every bit of media that we consume has some kind of meaning. Creators of media industries can prejudice the way that we interpret that meaning, but ultimately a person’s beliefs, education and societal position will impact the way that meaning is interpreted.
As we are learning about media industries in this unit, we are moving beyond simply knowing what each industry does to thinking about why, and how this influences us. The key to thinking this way is critical analysis and performing that analysis without any preconceptions.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
We briefly introduced the concept of social journalism in Week 2, but the next three modules will form an intensive look into the topic, focusing on how social journalism impacts media industries and public participation in journalism. We now begin to focus more on examining media industries, media literacy and the future of journalism.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
After looking at the ‘why’ of social journalism before Break Week, this week we dive right into the ‘how’ and ‘what’: looking at platforms, writing styles and best-practice examples from around the globe.
Even if you are a ‘digital native’ and have had a Facebook account since before you could walk, this is no reason to assume that you understand the platform from a journalistic perspective. The playing field is constantly evolving as platforms improve and develop their offering – what works now may not work in 6 months’ time!
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Now that we’ve covered the practical parts of social journalism, it’s time to stop for a minute and consider the responsibilities that you carry as a social journalist.
Have you ever read a statement on social media and believed it or shared it without giving it a second thought? Have you then had someone (often embarrassingly) point out to you how untrue the original statement was? As humans, we don’t like to be proven wrong, so in social journalism (or in any journalism practice!) it’s important to be 100% sure of the veracity of your information before you publish.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
For any communications professional, telling the truth and acting honestly is important. But as creators of news, journalists have a clear responsibility to act in an ethical manner. People take what they see on ‘the news’ as fact, so ethical researching, writing and reporting are of great importance.
While you have likely already covered ethics in previous units, this week we look at several new and emerging ethical issues for journalists around digital and global media ethics.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Journalists have a responsibility to obey the law. But with a changing digital media landscape, the legal landscape is changing as well, both in Australia and globally.
The legal considerations we will cover this week have far-reaching effects – from how you conduct yourself on social media even now, to copyright and confidentiality.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Convergence is an important topic to round out this unit, as we have seen a change in relationships and a blurring of lines between different media in our digital age.
When we talk about convergence, we are discussing the interdependence of media industries both in Australia and the globe at large. Convergence is very relevant in Australia, particularly given the social journalism concepts that we have been discussing. News has taken on a new, convergent form, and this week we look at how social journalism is a part of professional journalism - and vice versa.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Postmodernity is about taking an alternative perspective and breaking with tradition. While the term ‘postmodernity’ might be an intimidating word, it comes down to being able to think outside the box and imagine a better future.
In this unit, we’ve seen how media industries have changed over the past decades. Now we look to the future and examine how we can challenge the traditions of media industries for a better world and social change.
Chapter
See e-reading list on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
No new content.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Group Discussion
In this assessment, you will analyse how the news is made and how editorial choices shape the content that audiences receive, believe, and ultimately even act on.
Your Task
Find one story that was recently* covered by broadcast news (TV or radio), a newspaper, and an online news site. If you can find it, also include the original media release for a deeper comparison. You will post your choice of story to the Assessment 1 thread on Microsoft Teams by the end of week 4, with a short outline of why you have chosen to examine this story.
In your report, you will summarise the story and then compare the coverage of this story across the three different media channels, examining:
- Did the news values change?
- Did the audience and targeting of the story change?
- Was the story covered internationally? Why or why not?
- Were the key messages different?
- How did the story change across different media?
- Was any ‘important’ information left out?
Referencing and Format
In explaining and deconstructing editorial choices, you will use at least four (4) academic sources, referenced in the APA format. The report will be presented as an academic report, with examples of format available on Moodle. Include your original articles (where possible) as an Appendix to the report.
Your report will be submitted via Moodle as a Word document in Week 5, with a word count between 1500-2000 words.
*Within the last 4 weeks
Week 5 Friday (11 Aug 2023) 11:59 pm AEST
Submit via Moodle in Week 5.
Week 6 Friday (25 Aug 2023)
Assignments will be returned within two weeks of on-time submission.
A detailed assessment criteria is available on Moodle.
You will be assessed as per the criteria, which covers:
- Your writing standard in all exercises (should be professional and error-free)
- The presentation of your tasks and your attention to detail and requirements
- Your contribution to peer feedback in the Discussion Forum
- The evidence of how you have integrated key unit concepts in your analysis
- Your research and referencing standard (in the APA style).
- Analyse examples of contemporary journalistic practice in Australian and international contexts
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Written Assessment
This assessment incorporates current affairs, the mediasphere and the advent of social media, requiring students to act as social journalists and interact with the mediasphere and different forms of media.
Your Task
You are the social journalist, tasked with finding a locally developing newsworthy story and covering it through two of the following media channels:
- An Instagram story (5+ individual posts)
- A Facebook Live video (2 minutes or more)
- A series of Tweets (5+ Tweets)
- A Snapchat story (5+ individual posts)
- A series of captioned photos (3+ photos, of publishable quality)
- A series of text messages (5+ messages, as you might send to a journalist)
- A ‘call in’ to a radio show
Your two media channels may cover the story during the same point in time, or one may be a follow-up. If you are having trouble finding a newsworthy story, turn to your local Council meeting, shopping centre noticeboard or even local Facebook groups.
Once you have captured your story through two of the above channels, you will present your story and a justification of your media choices via a PowerPoint presentation. The presentation will have your story embedded (via video or screenshots), and then address the following justification questions:
- What was your approach to finding and covering the story?
- How did you apply the principles of social journalism?
- Which news values informed your choices?
- How did your choice of media impact the coverage you were able to provide? Was this appropriate?
- What principles of responsible social journalism needed to be observed?
Your justification should cover approximately 250 words on each of these headings. Your PowerPoint justification slides will be in a dot point format with recorded voiceover. You will need to incorporate at least five (5) academic sources and show evidence of research into news values, media industries and modern journalistic practices. Your justification should be accompanied by referencing in the APA style, with a reference list included at the end of your PowerPoint presentation.
Week 9 Friday (15 Sept 2023) 11:59 pm AEST
Submit via Moodle
Week 11 Friday (29 Sept 2023)
Assignments will be returned within two weeks of on-time submission.
A detailed assessment criteria is available on Moodle.
You will be assessed as per the criteria, which covers:
- Your choices of media coverage and their presentation
- Your justification of your social journalism choices
- Your use of academic and industry sources to support your justification
- Your writing standard in all exercises (should be professional and error-free)
- Your research and referencing standard (in the APA style).
- Review coverage of controversial current affairs in the mediasphere
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
3 Portfolio
This assessment focuses on analysing how the media shapes our conversations, given the rise of opinion-based writing, fake news and social journalism.
Part A: Alternative Op-Eds
Your task is to identify an opinion editorial (op-ed) piece in the media (broadcast, online or newspaper). An op-ed is a piece of writing which articulates a personal opinion, rather than the balanced reporting of a journalistic piece.
In response to the op-ed, you will craft a reply piece presenting an alternative view, while maintaining the same style as the original piece. You may choose to use an AI tool (like ChatGPT) to generate your alternative op-ed piece. If you do so, you will need to clearly identify that the piece is AI-generated, and explicitly incorporate this element in the justification (i.e ethics, etc - more information will be available on this approach on Moodle).
Your response op-ed will be 500 words long. Any references in the body of the op-ed (optional, but required if you are referencing facts, statistics or another author’s work) must be in the APA style, with a reference list specific to Part A. Include the original op-ed as an Appendix to Part A.
Part B: Justification
In addition to this response, you will write a 1,200 – 1,500 word justification, including (but not limited to):
- Why you chose the original piece
- Your adopted writing style
- What medium would be most appropriate for your response
- Your choice of alternative angle and how this theoretically shapes the conversation
- What other alternative viewpoints you considered
- How your response might influence the audience’s perspective
- Any ethical or legal considerations in your response
- Whether or not your piece would be published by the same outlet as the original
Your justification will be written as a third-person academic piece of writing, similar to an essay with an introduction, discussion/argument and conclusion. You will need to incorporate academic sources and show evidence of research into news values, media industries and modern journalistic practices. Your research should be accompanied by referencing in the APA style, with a reference list specific to Part B.
Part C: Editing
It is expected that you will spend a significant amount of time editing your op-ed for style, language and readability. An editing checklist will help you with this, and you will submit your completed editing checklist along with the final assignment.
Format
Part A of the assignment should be presented with appropriate headings. Part B will follow the Academic Essay format, and Part C can be pasted into the final Word document and completed.
All three parts will be submitted together as a single Word document and uploaded to Moodle on the due date.
Week 12 Friday (6 Oct 2023) 11:59 pm AEST
Submit via Moodle
Exam Week Friday (20 Oct 2023)
Assignments will be returned within two weeks of on-time submission.
A detailed assessment criteria is available on Moodle.
You will be assessed as per the criteria, which covers:
- Your use of journalistic writing styles and understanding of news values
- Your writing standard and self-editing standard, in line with the editing checklist
- The depth of your justification, including all elements outlined in the task
- The use of credible academic sources to support your justification
- Your referencing standard (in the APA style).
- Critically evaluate the effect of social media and technological development on media industry practices and ethics, with a social journalism focus.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
