BJ3S46 - Journalism Dissertation 06 Jul 2023 - 31 Aug 2025 | Version 2

Associated Module Information

Module Code: BJ3S46
Module Title: Journalism Dissertation
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Film and TV
Faculty Sub Group: Film and TV
Module Leader: Peter Jachimiak
Module Team: Craig Hooper, Beccy Leach, Julie Kissick, Delme Parfitt, Steve Johnson, Gwyneth Moore
First Intended Intake: SEP 2019 Final Year of Intake: 2024
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 6
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 06 Jul 2023
Valid To 31 Aug 2025

Module Aims

To enable students to critically examine the practice of journalism with reference to theory about its relation to society and the public sphere

To enable students to research and write up a dissertation on a negotiated, timetabled and agreed topic.

To develop students’ knowledge of research methods applicable to the delivery of authoritative, theoretically informed, evidence-based report writing

To encourage critical thinking towards their own work in the practice of journalism

Content Summary

In this module students will plan, research, and write a Dissertation related to the practice of journalism. Group workshops will support students in the production of a Pitch and Proposal which will form the basis of their research project, and individual Supervisory sessions will guide the development and final production of the Dissertation. The Dissertation will be focused on a subject agreed in advance with staff.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Tutorial 4
Practical classes and workshops 8
Independent Study 188
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Conceive, construct and execute a self-organised research project in journalism or closely related areas
LO2 Critically understand and reflect on the processes involved in conducting research in journalism studies

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Portfolio 1 A portfolio of evidence supporting the planning stages of the Dissertation (to include a Pitch and Proposal) 0 N/A 30 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Dissertation / Major Project 1 Fully referenced dissertation on a subject drawn from the student’s study 0 4000 70 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Portfolio 1
Dissertation / Major Project 1

Reading List

Harcup, T (2015) Journalism : principles & practice.Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publications

Conboy, M (2012) Journalism studies: the basics. Routledge.

Hansen, A. et al. (1998) Mass Communications Research Methods. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Deacon, D. et al. (1999) Researching Communications: A Practical Guide to Methods in Media and Cultural Analysis. London: Arnold.

Allan, S (2010) News Culture. Maidenhead : McGraw-Hill/Open University Press

Barlow, David; Mitchell, Philip; O'Malley, Tom (2005) The Media in Wales : voices of a small nation. University of Wales Press.

Franklin, B (2010). Key concepts in journalism studies. London ; Thousand Oaks : SAGE Publications 2005