Program Overview

Unit of Study COM00482 - Hot Topics: Feature Journalism

Unit Snapshot

• Unit type: UG Coursework Unit
• Credit points: 12
• AQF level: 7
• Level of learning: Intermediate
• Former School/College: Former School of Arts and Social Sciences
• Pre-requisites: COM00481 - The Fourth Estate: News Journalism
• Enrolment information: Basic newswriting and reporting skills.

Unit Description

Completes students' introduction to journalism as a contemporary cultural and media practice. Students consolidate their skills in news gathering and writing, and are introduced to feature writing techniques through applied theory and practical activities and assessment. Students learn further research and interviewing skills, and develop a critical understanding of key professional, legal and ethics issues relevant to journalism.

Unit Content

• The nature of features
• Story ideas and planning
• Advanced interviewing
• Feature writing techniques
• Narrative and description
• Legal issues and ethics
• Rhetoric and persuasion
• Data and verification
• Marketing your work
• Investigative journalism
• Wordcraft and editing
• Book-length features

Availabilities

Learning Outcomes and Graduate Attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes.

On Completion of This Unit, Students Should Be Able To:

1. Discuss the characteristics of feature writing, including the role of argument, narrative, persuasion and description
   • GA2: Creativity
   • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
   • GA5: Lifelong learning
2. Apply skills in planning, researching and interviewing for feature-form journalism writing projects
   • GA2: Creativity
   • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
   • GA5: Lifelong learning
3. Access, critically evaluate and document information sources, including reports, databases and specialist publications
   • GA2: Creativity
   • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
   • GA5: Lifelong learning
4. Write a newspaper/magazine feature article
   • GA2: Creativity
   • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
   • GA5: Lifelong learning
5. Identify and discuss professional, legal and ethical issues in feature journalism practice.
   • GA2: Creativity
   • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
   • GA5: Lifelong learning

Prescribed Learning Resources

Session 1

• Prescribed Texts: No prescribed texts.
• Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.

Graduate Attributes

• GA1: Intellectual rigour - A commitment to excellence in all scholarly and intellectual activities, including critical judgement.
• GA2: Creativity - An ability to develop creative and effective responses to intellectual, professional and social challenges.
• GA3: Ethical practice - A commitment to sustainability and high ethical standards in social and professional practices.
• GA4: Knowledge of a discipline - Command of a discipline to enable a smooth transition and contribution to professional and community settings.
• GA5: Lifelong learning - The ability to be responsive to change, to be inquiring and reflective in practice, through information literacy and autonomous, self-managed learning.
• GA6: Communication and social skills - The ability to communicate and collaborate with individuals, and within teams, in professional and community settings.
• GA7: Cultural competence - An ability to engage with diverse cultural and Indigenous perspectives in both global and local settings.