Overview
News Writing & Reporting is designed to extend and develop the knowledge and skills gained in Media Writing. The exercises and assignments provide instruction and practice in news writing and news-gathering for print, online, and broadcast environments. Students are required to actively engage with their local community, reporting on events and community organisations, local courts, municipal councils and local political issues. Students are also expected to engage with contemporary media issues that impact on news writing, such as ethics, law, representation, and ownership.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite:- COMM11007 plus JOUR11005
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 1 - 2018
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 Term 1 2017 Student Evaluation comments.
Flexible and formative nature of assessment was great, but students commented that they needed to be better at time management to make the most of feedback opportunities.
Retain approach to assessment. Remind students about time management.
Feedback from Term 1 2017 Student Evaluation comments.
Practical nature of assessment was challenging but students commented positively that it was a good introduction to journalism practice.
Retain approach to assessment.
Feedback from Term 1 2017 Student Evaluation comments.
Exemplars would be useful, particularly for longer features.
Include exemplars where relevant.
- Exercise journalistic writing skills and research techniques to produce general news stories for print, online, and broadcast distribution
- Apply appropriate news criteria when using news-gathering skills to address news and current affairs in a general news writing context
- Critique and discuss issues relevant to news writing in a contemporary media environment
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 70% | |||
| 2 - Group Discussion - 30% | |||
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 - Written Assessment - 70% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Group Discussion - 30% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Advanced Reporting: Essential Skills for 21st Century Journalism
(2015)
Authors: Maguire, Miles
Routledge
New York New York , New York , USA
ISBN: 978-0-415-82428-6
Binding: Hardcover
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
l.bertoli@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to News Writing and Reporting
Chapter
Maguire, Chapter 1, 2 pp. 3 - 39
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
See Study Guide Lessons
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
News Gathering
Chapter
Maguire, Chapters 3, 4, 5 pp. 40 - 94
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Sources, 'Voice' and Representation
Chapter
See Study Guide Lessons
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Reporting Institutions: Court and Government
Chapter
Maguire, Chapters 6, 7 pp. 97 - 132
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Reporting Institutions: Corporations
Chapter
Maguire, Chapters 9, 10, 12
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Reporting Minorities
Chapter
See Study Guide Lessons
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Integrated Media
Chapter
See Study Guide Lessons
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ethics and Legals in Journalism
Chapter
Maguire, Chapters 12, 13 pp. 207 - 242
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Editing
Chapter
See Study Guide Lessons
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Tools of the Trade
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Adaption: Extending the Life of Your Story
Chapter
See Study Guide Lessons
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
1 and 2: These are based on provided material available on the Moodle site, and are designed to revise your skills and hone your attention to detail and eye for an angle or hook. Stories 1 and 2 are:
- 1: General news story – Materials supplied by teaching staff (350 words)
- 2: General news story – Broadcast version of Story 1. Your story may contain the same general content as Story 1, but should be written in the correct format and the tone and transitions should reflect broadcast conventions. (350 words)
3 and 4: These stories require you to conduct basic reporting within a framework – a sports story, and a council or court report. Stories 3 and 4 are:
- 3: News story – Sport-based news story. You need to attend and report on a sport event. Your story must include an interview from a coach and a player. (350 words)
- 4: News story – court or government: A report based on a meeting of your local Shire or Regional Council, or a report from a local court. Your report must include quotes from sources. (350 words)
5: This story requires you to localise a national story.
- 5: News story - Local: News story based on national issue, localised to regional/city level. Your story should include two local sources as a minimum. (500 words)
6: This is your main piece. It is a longer story and should investigate an issue.
- 6: Feature story. You have two choices for this story.
Option 1: Identify an award for journalism and target the requirements of the award. NOTE: Some of the awards will not have opened for 2018 so the criteria may be from previous years, however this will not affect your assessment.
Possible options include:
- Art Journalism: http://www.artnewsportal.com/YAJA/about
- Ossie Awards for Student Journalism http://jeaa.org.au/the-ossie-awards/270
-
LGAQ Awards for Regional Journalism: https://lgaq.asn.au/journalism-awards
Option 2: You may work with a news publication to submit a story for publication, including the CQUniNEWS e-magazine which regularly publishes graduate profiles and feature articles detailing community engagement initiatives. (You will need to discuss your idea with the course coordinator or local teaching staff to ensure suitability. This will be done on a case by case basis.) You should submit an email or letter from the editor/chief of staff providing evidence that the story is your work.
You will be required to resubmit (ONCE) any story that needs editing by unit teaching staff within one week of receiving your story back and will rework it to a publishable standard.
You must submit a news cover sheet as your title page with each story. Cover sheets are available on the course website.
Timelines for submission
You will be required to submit Story 1 by Friday, Week 2, and Story 2 by Friday, Week 4. This is so we can assess you and provide feedback early in the course. You may elect to submit earlier but will need to advise your teaching staff when you submit.
You will devise your own submission timelines for stories 3 to 6. You must submit a proposed timeline to teaching staff of your proposed deadlines for the final four stories. This timeline will be submitted by Friday Week 5. This allows you to manage your time and priorities.You will then be assessed on your ability to manage your own time and adherence to deadlines while still giving you flexibility to cover the required stories within the context of your location and life circumstance.
You may submit a portfolio draft that includes three stories in Week 6.
Submissions and Resubmissions
- Original submissions will be made via the course website.
- You will be able to resubmit your assignment via Moodle (ONCE) upon receiving feedback from teaching staff. You must include the previous version in your revised submission file (one file allowed). The new version will be first; the original version follows.
- You must retain version copies to illustrate improvement when you submit your portfolio.
- Resubmissions must be submitted within seven (7) days of receiving your feedback.
Portfolio
At the end of term, you will compile your stories as a single portfolio (Word document). This portfolio will comprise:
- A title page
- a Table of Contents
- 12 stories (your original and final version of each story, if re-submissions were required)
- a short description of what you did to improve each article in response to feedback.
The portfolio should be structured as follows:
-
Story 1:
Version 1
Final Version
Response to Feedback -
Story 2
Version 1
Final Version
Response to Feedback
You will be required to self-assess your work. You should complete the assessment criteria and include this with your portfolio.
Further guidance on this assessment will be provided on the unit website.
Review/Exam Week Monday (4 June 2018) 9:00 am AEST
Assessment schedule for stories to be set by student. Final portfolio of completed stories due by Monday 4 June 2018
Assessment will be returned within one week during term.
Individual stories will be graded pass (publishable)/fail (to resubmit ONCE ) and will be marked against the following criteria:
Ability to write news stories to publishable standard, requiring you to:
- Exercise journalistic writing skills and research techniques to produce general news stories for print, online, and broadcast distribution
- Apply appropriate news criteria when using news-gathering skills to address news and current affairs in a general news writing context
- Demonstrate awareness of issues relevant to news writing in a contemporary media environment
You will receive an overall grade for your approach to this assessment which will be influenced by your response to feedback, re-submissions required, and timeliness of submissions.
- Exercise journalistic writing skills and research techniques to produce general news stories for print, online, and broadcast distribution
- Apply appropriate news criteria when using news-gathering skills to address news and current affairs in a general news writing context
- Critique and discuss issues relevant to news writing in a contemporary media environment
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Group Discussion
All students (distance and on-campus) will be expected to contribute to forum discussion during the term. Each week between Weeks 1 and 8, the Unit Coordinator will post a discussion item to which you are expected to respond on the forum. This discussion will be related to current issues or designed to assist your story research and writing. Responses should be approximately 200 words each.You must contribute to all discussions.
During Week 9, you will compile six of your best responses, and submit these as a Word document to the Assessment 2 Assignment submission. You will need to write a sentence against each response that describes how the activity contributed to your learning.You are able to edit your original posts for submission, and should ensure that your posts are appropriately referenced where relevant.
You will be required to self-assess your work. You should complete the assessment criteria and include this with your file in Week 9.
Further guidance on this assessment will be provided on the unit website.
Week 9 Monday (7 May 2018) 5:00 pm AEST
Weekly; Final submission due Monday Week 9.
Within one fortnight of online submission.
Submissions will be marked against the following criteria:
- Reflection and response
- Writing standard
- Evidence of research
- Apply appropriate news criteria when using news-gathering skills to address news and current affairs in a general news writing context
- Critique and discuss issues relevant to news writing in a contemporary media environment
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
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?
