2016/17 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

COMM2365 Broadcast Journalism Ethics

20 creditsClass Size: 60

Module manager: Dr Adrian Quinn
Email: a.a.quinn@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2016/17

This module is mutually exclusive with

PHIL2726

Media Ethics

Module replaces

COMM2360

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Contemporary broadcast journalism demands clear personal ethical standards, along with understanding of the journalism industry and research into its potential harms. This module is intended to encourage intellectual engagement with journalism research and critique, and provide an opportunity for critical reflection on journalism with reference to its ethical challenges. The module includes a range of perspectives and experiences from members of ICS staff with experience in journalism; a workshop session allows students to apply theoretical knowledge of ethical problem-solving to real world problems.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- to provide broadcast journalism students with a semester of continuous intellectual engagement with journalism research and critique, and an extended opportunity for critical reflection on their field with reference to its ethical challenges.
- to enable students to critically examine the responsibilities of journalists and critically assess the social impact of journalism.
- to provide students with practical guidance and with strategies for critical and moral reasoning when confronting ethical dilemmas in journalistic practice.

Learning outcomes
1. Discuss key theories and approaches to ethics of particular relevance to journalism
2. Recognise ethical issues in journalism practice and justify decision making in terms of ethical principles or ideas
3. Make informed contributions to critical debate about journalism and ethics
4. Express ideas about ethics in a range of styles including verbal presentation

Syllabus

Topics covered include: peace journalism, the journalism of attachment, war reporting and the reporting of extremism.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Workshop	1	2.00	2.00
Discussion forum	1	2.00	2.00
Lecture	9	2.00	18.00
Practical	1	6.00	6.00
Seminar	8	1.00	8.00
Independent online learning hours			20.00
Private study hours			144.00
Total Contact hours			36.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Independent online learning: VLE will be deployed to provide students with a range of international resources and interactive exercises to examine the treatment of journalism ethics around the world, and some video programmes to screen independently. Reporting on this research will be linked to seminar and in-class discussions.

Assessed Project One: Ethics case study, group project; 2000 word report and brief class presentation. Assessed Project Two: one 3000 word essay

Students will be required to read 4-8 articles/book chapters weekly; apx. 8 weekly hours of reading (80 hours over 10 weeks).

Each student should spend apx. 44 hours working on the completion of the essay assignment, and 20 hours on the group project assignment.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Attendance of all lectures and seminars will be expected and only exceptional absences will be permitted. Students who have been absent or students who are not participating routinely will be encouraged to meet with the instructor. All students will be encouraged to meet with the instructor twice in the semester: once, to discuss progress on team projects; and again, to discuss the preparation of their final paper. The structure of smaller seminar groups (the class will be divided into two or more subgroups for seminar meetings) conducted by the IDEA CETL staff also permits monitoring of participating and progress, and the instructor will maintain close contact with seminar staff regarding student progress.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 2,500 - 3,000 words	60.00
Group Project	1 x 1,750 - 2,000 words	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Group project: Students will work in teams of apx. 5 each to examine a contemporary real-world case of a significant ethical challenge to journalists and to discuss the resolution of that challenge in the context of journalism research, philosophical critique, and ethical principles. Essay: Students will have a choice of essay topics tied to key class themes, and connected to seminar discussions.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 26/04/2016

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