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This course is intended for non-native English speakers who want to learn the skills required for a career in modern journalism. You will learn about print and digital media through authentic readings and video lectures, while also expanding your vocabulary and improving your ability to read, research, and develop local and global news stories. The first unit will provide an overview of the history and principles of journalism. Unit 2 will teach you how to research, pitch, and interview. The following unit in the course will concentrate on the language required to write newspaper and magazine articles, while unit 4 will cover the fundamentals of news broadcasting. You will analyse the growth, impact, and challenges of digital news in the final unit of the course, while also completing a reflection assignment that will allow you to think about and discuss recent changes in the field of journalism.
Syllabus :
1. Introduction and Principles of Journalism
- Course Overview: Topics, Assessments & Activities
- Games and Levels
- Why Journalism? What Makes This Field Interesting?
- Introduction to the History of Journalism – pre-1690
- History of Journalism – 1690 – present day
- Language Focus – Simple Past and Past Progressive
- Unlockable Achievement
- Gathering Sources
- Telling the Story
- Language Focus – Word Families
- Principles of Journalism 3: Impacting People
- Language Focus – Phrases for Agreeing and Disagreeing
- Online Learning Opportunities to Extend Your Skills
- Supplemental Listening: "Young Journalists Report on Worldwide Landmine Problems"
- 'Berlin Airlift' Airport Becomes Emergency Refugee Shelter
2. How to Research, Pitch, and Interview
- Choosing a Topic
- Researching an Idea
- Unlockable Achievement
- Pitching a Story – Newspapers/Magazines
- Pitching a Story - Radio
- Sample News Story Pitch
- Unlockable Achievement
- Video Listening: Times are Changing in Havana, Cuba
- Unlockable Achievement
- Language Focus – Interviewing Sources – Wh- Questions
- Interviewing Sources – Reliability, Facts & Opinion
- Language Focus – Quoting Sources & Reporting Verbs
- Video interview with a student journalist from The Daily Pennsylvanian
- Unlockable Achievement
- Interviewing Sources - Notetaking
- Language Focus – Quoting Sources Directly or Using Reported Speech
- Supplemental Listening: "Story of Dr. Omalu Enlightens on Risks of High-impact Sports"
3. Words in Print
- Print Media: From Topic to Article
- Types of Leads
- Creating a Lead
- Unlockable Achievement
- Language Focus – SV Agreement with Different Subjects
- Writing Using Associated Press Style
- Language Focus – Structure of Active and Passive Voices
- Language Focus – Use of Active and Passive Voices
- Reporting Accurately
- Proofreading an Article
- Unlockable Achievement
- Listening: Egyptian Journalists Call for Press Freedom
4. Broadcasting the News
- The Language of Broadcast Journalism
- Listening: "VOA Fast Five"
- Unlockable Achievement
- The People of Broadcast Journalism
- Types of Stories for Broadcast Journalism
- Using Conversational Style
- Listening: "So you want to be a TV reporter..."
- Language Focus – Present Tense & Active Voice
- Sample Broadcast News Story
- Ratings in TV News: How Journalists Compete
- Unlockable Achievement
- Sensationalism in TV News
- The 24-hour News Cycle
- Language Focus - Stress & Pausing
- Unlockable Achievement
- "Telepresence - The Next Best thing to Being There"
5. Journalism in the Digital Age
- Origins and Current State of the Digital Age
- The Impact on the Journalistic Process
- The Impact on Traditional Media
- Language Focus – Present Perfect Form
- The Digital Divide
- Language Focus – Data Commentary
- Unlockable Achievement
- Citizen Journalism
- Ethics in the Digital Age
- Intellectual Property and Censorship
- Unlockable Achievement
