This 30 credit module examines concurrently radio and TV reporting and presentation. The module aims at integrating the major theories and practical skills of the broadcast journalist. It also gives students a grasp of professional presentation techniques. It investigates, analyses and gives practice in news stories, voice and package reporting, interview techniques, bulletin editing, the use of actuality, the use of records/engineering and digital editing. It gives practice at news reading and analyses various styles of news presentation

The module examines broadcast journalism practice to give essential skills in the field as well as an understanding of the relationship between the practice of broadcast journalism, the production values of broadcasting and definitions of news.

The module will examine present practice but will extend this to explore the impact of new technology on news and news gathering. The module will teach radio and TV styles and their relative effectiveness in conveying particular news.

Theory and practice are integrated. Radio and television are also covered concurrently with individual and group work on broadcast assignments. All teaching takes place in the broadcast newsroom and studios and occasionally on location filming. Contact time takes place through the workshop sessions in which lecture and practical material is combined with a programme of directed reading and viewing and listening. Voice training is seen as very important with a session each semester with a professional broadcast voice coach (this is a BJTC requirement)

There is 300 hours of supervised activity throughout the course of this module. During the first semester students are supervised for 8 hours a week studying the basics of theory and practice of broadcast journalism with more of an emphasis on radio (Total hours for semester 1 = 104 hours)

From the beginning of January students concentrate more on the television side with 16 hours a week during the 4 weeks of January, during February they spend four hours a week on Theory and Practice (Total hours for January and February 80 hours)

For 6 weeks from the beginning of March students are on a professional work placement in a broadcast journalism environment. For three weeks in May, upon their return, students are actively involved in a very concentrate period of learning. For 5 days a week from 7 am through until 4.30 they take part in practical bi-media newsdays which are continually assessed (This is roughly a further 120 hours).

Newsroom
Radio and TV studies
Recorders and TV cameras
Internet

Alten, S. (1996) Audio in Media, Wadsworth
Biani, S. (1992) Interviews that Work, Routledge
Boyd, A. (1994) Broadcast Journalism, Focal Press
Clayton, J. (1994) Interviewing for Journalists, Piatkus Books
Crissell, A. (1994) Understanding Radio, Routledge
Crook, T. (1998) International Radio Journalism, Routledge
Gage, L. (1998) Guide to Commercial Radio Journalism, Focal Press
Hausman, C. (1994) Crafting the News for Electronic Media, Wadsworth
Herbert, J. (1999) Print and Broadcast Journalism, Focal Press
Holland, P. (1998) Television Handbook, Routledge
Hyde, S.W. (1991) TV and Radio Announcing, Houghton
Millerson, G. (1993) Effective TV Production, Focal Press
Shingler, M. & Wieringa, (1998) On Air, Arnold
Utterback, A. (1990) Broadcast Voice Handbook: How to Polish your On-Air Delivery, Bonus Books
White, T. (1998) News Writing, Reporting and Producing, Focal Press

Presenting a live radio newsday with editorial control for bulletins @ 50%
[Learning Outcomes 1-8]

Editorial control for a live TV newsday @ 50%
[Learning Outcomes 1-8]