Crone, T. (2002) Law & The Media, Focal Press.
Frost, C. (2011) Journalism Ethics and Regulation, Pearson
Morrison, J. (2009) Public Affairs for Journalists
Quinn, F. (2011), Law for Journalists 3rd ed, Pearson
Pape, S. & Featherstone, S. (2005) Newspaper Journalism: A Practical Introduction
Rudin, R. and Ibbotson, T. (2002) An introduction to Journalism - Essential Techniques and the Background Knowledge, Focal Press.
Sanders, K. (2003) Ethics & Journalism, Sage.
Welsh, T., Greenwood, W. and Banks, D. (2009) McNae's Essential Law for Journalists (20th edition), OUP.

Library resources
Blackboard
Email
StaffsLive

This module provides journalism students with the essential information and skills required to enable them to attend a variety of court and council hearings and report on those proceedings accurately, fairly and within the restrictions of the law and editorial codes. It is designed to make them aware of the restrictions placed on journalists and the need to balance freedom of speech with the right to a fair trial. However, students will also learn about their own journalistic rights and gain the knowledge needed to challenge unfair restrictions and hurdles imposed on journalists by such institutions. Theory of law court reporting will be related to current news events and stories and students will be expected to attend local magistrates hearings to see the law in action and produce copy based on this visit. Students will also be expected to report on a specific council, attend council meetings, scrutinize council agendas and minutes, and write copy from these sources. This module is designed to build on the knowledge and understanding acquired in the Essential Law & Public Affairs module in Level 4 by providing a platform for students to put into practice what they have learned. As the module progresses, students will compile a portfolio of original court and council stories for assessment.

This 30-credit module will begin with a series of sessions outlining the module and assessment process, the protocols and procedures for reporting courts and councils etc. During this, students will present a 500-word proposal (non-assessed) to outline which local authority (council) and courts they intend to focus on throughout the module, how they intend to make initial contact, who key players are within the council, and dates for specific future meetings they intend to cover. Students will then engage in independent work arranging with officials to attend meetings, receiving advance agendas/lists, build a network of contacts within the authority, develop story ideas etc. Students will develop a grasp and contextual overview of the role of a court and council reporter, on the learning experience of identifying and realising opportunities to cover a local authority, enhancing the learning outcome indicators of analysis, enquiry, communication, application and reflection. A minimum of 130 hours will be spent attending meetings and hearings, scrutinizing agendas and lists, identifying and researching original story ideas, interviewing and collating information, and producing industry standard articles. A notional 18 hours will be spent identifying and negotiating council coverage and producing the reflective evaluation.
Individual tutorial guidance and support will be given online/via email.
Students will gain individual tutorials throughout the term to inform tutors of progress and to seek guidance and advice.
Seminars on the theory of law court reporting will also be held throughout the first teaching block. These will be 2-hour seminars once a week for 12 weeks. There will also be timetabled morning visits to a magistrates court (approx 3 hours) and a timetabled visit to an inquest (approx 3 hours) in this first teaching block from which students will produce copy to be submitted into their portfolio for assessment.
Extra tutorials will also be made available for students to report back on progress made. Students will be expected to cover courts on a number of different occasions, providing copy from each visit to be submitted to portfolios.
Revision sessions will be held to prepare students for the NCTJ diploma examinations Essential Public Affairs for Journalists, and Court Reporting for Journalists.

Key Information Set:
Learning & Teaching hours
50% Guided Independent Study
50% Scheduled Learning and Teaching

Portfolio
To include:
Articles produced from stories sourced and developed from court hearings, inquests, council meetings, agendas, and other sources such as contacts. Each article submitted will include evidence of the source (eg. mags court list, council meeting minutes, advance agenda item). The portfolio should also contain any published cuttings from stories pitched to StaffsLive, newspapers, hyperlocal news sites etc. There will also be a reflective evaluation on their individual experience as a council/court reporter. This should examine the council chosen, contextual background, problems faced, how they were addressed, positives and negatives from the experience, and overall reflection. (80% weighting, word count approx 5,000, learning outcomes 1-6)

Class Test
There will be ONE class test on Court Reporting (modelled on current NCTJ examination) to assess knowledge of the impact on reporting the courts, implications of ethical issues and restrictions on reporting.(20% weighting, word count approx 1,000, learning outcomes 2, 4 and 6)

Key Information Set:
Assessment hours
80% coursework
20% written exam