Module Descriptors
THE POLITICS OF BROADCAST NEWS
JOUR50235
Key Facts
Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies
Level 5
15 credits
Contact
Leader: Michael Temple
Email: M.Temple@staffs.ac.uk
Hours of Study
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: 20
Independent Study Hours: 130
Total Learning Hours: 150
Assessment
  • COURSEWORK -ESSAY weighted at 100%
Module Details
Module Resources
Videos
Library texts and journals
Television and radio news programmes
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available (where relevant) to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.
Module Learning Strategies
10 x workshops (2 hours) - 20 hours
To introduce key concepts and develop skills including note-taking and the ability to extract and use relevant information
To facilitate wider group discussion of issues raised by directed reading; small group activities (for example, to assess the relevance of claims of 'dumbing down')

Independent learning - 130 hours
Developing research skills and independent learning
Module Indicative Content
History of broadcast news; legislative frameworks; theoretical perspectives on news gathering; ownership and control; political censorship, control and propaganda; the politics of public service broadcasting; the role of broadcast news in policy making; politics and globalisation; the future of broadcast news.
Module Texts
Brian McNair (2003) News & Journalism in the UK
Michael Bromley (ed.) (2002) No News is Bad News: Radio, Television and the Public
Jackie Harrison (2001) Terrestrial TV News in Britain: The Culture of Production
Paul Manning (2001) News and News Sources: A Critical Introduction
Jackie Harrison (2006) News (London: Routledge)
Module Additional Assessment Details
Summative assessment
1 x essay (2000-2500 words) - (Learning outcomes 1 & 2)

Formative assessment
Independent learning via guided readings, literature searches via Web and library resources, tutor and student led seminar discussions on key issues (Learning outcome 2 & 3)