BJ2S60 - Behind the Sports Headlines 01 Sep 2023 - 31 Aug 2026 | Version 2

Associated Module Information

Module Code: BJ2S60
Module Title: Behind the Sports Headlines
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Film and TV
Faculty Sub Group: Film and TV
Module Leader: Delme Parfitt
Module Team: Delme Parfitt, Steve Johnson, Rebecca Williams, James Rendell, Gwyneth Moore
First Intended Intake: SEP 2017 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 5
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100442 - journalism
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 2
Valid From 01 Sep 2023
Valid To 31 Aug 2026

Module Aims

To develop a detailed understanding of the impact of sport on society.

The impact of fandom, tribalism and their impact on media audiences.

Content Summary

Focusing on key contemporary sports stories and long-running sporting themes, students will explore issues in real time. This module is unique in that it is determined by events as they happen. Students will therefore be required to engage with on-going and breaking sports news stories and develop skills as researchers and critical thinkers. They will learn how journalists, fans and those with no interest in sport are impacted by major stories and how academic researchers and intellectuals respond to them.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 12
Seminar 14
Tutorial 4
Project supervision 6
Independent Study 100
Directed Study 64
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Understand and assess the debates over audience and fan responses to a range of media texts.
LO2 Critically reflect on the impact of sport on culture and society.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Presentation (Asynchronous) 1 A presentation about a series of discussion panels involving internal and external contributors addressing current and topical sports issues. 15 N/A 60 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Essay 1 Testing understanding of key debates 0 2000 40 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Presentation (Asynchronous) 1
Essay 1

Reading List

Bailey, S. (2005) Media Audiences and Identity: Self-Construction in the Fan Experience, London: Palgrave MacMillan

Earnheard, A.C. (2013) Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization: Exploring the Fandemonium. Lexington Books.

Lewis, L A. (1992) The Adoring Audience: Fan culture and Popular Media. London: Routledge.

Napoli, P. (2010) Audience Evolution. Columbia University Press.

Ruddock, A. (2007) Investigating audiences, London: Sage.

Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal