4B007E - From Whistle to Screen: Match Day Storytelling 01 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2032 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: 4B007E
Module Title: From Whistle to Screen: Match Day Storytelling
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Film and TV
Faculty Sub Group: Film and TV
Module Leader: Delme Parfitt
Module Team: Julie Kissick
First Intended Intake: SEP 2026 Final Year of Intake: 2031
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 30 Credit Level: 4
Language:
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh:
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100439 - broadcast journalism 100440 - digital media 100442 - journalism 100445 - multimedia journalism
HECOS Code Weighting: 25 25 25 25

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2026
Valid To 31 Aug 2032

Module Aims

The main aims of the module are: 

  • To develop students’ ability to produce accurate, engaging, and ethical live sports journalism across digital platforms, reflecting professional newsroom standards. 

  • To build teamwork, communication, and time management skills through collaborative newsroom practice under real-world deadline conditions. 

  • To encourage understanding of how sports journalism can promote health, wellbeing, and community engagement, linking professional reporting to positive social impact. 

Content Summary

This module gives students their first taste of life in a working sports newsroom. They will learn how to cover live university and BUCS fixtures in real time, producing accurate, engaging and fair sports content under deadline pressure. Working in small teams, they will create a range of short-form journalism — including match reports, interviews, social updates, and features — while developing essential skills in observation, interviewing, and digital publishing. The module also encourages students to explore how sport contributes to health, wellbeing, and community identity, showing that good journalism can highlight sport’s wider social value. Through practical newsroom challenges, they will build confidence, teamwork, and resilience while understanding the ethical and wellbeing responsibilities of sports journalists. This module supports the overall course by developing their live reporting and collaboration skills, preparing them for more advanced newsroom, video, and broadcast production modules in later years. 

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Scheduled Learning and Teaching 56
Guided Study 10.5
Summative Assessment 60
Independent Study and self-directed learning 173.5
Total Hours Selected 116

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Produce accurate, engaging live sports coverage using digital tools with attention to wellbeing narratives.
LO2 Work collaboratively to deadlines, demonstrating ethical awareness, teamwork, and self-care.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Portfolio 1 2 x 2,500 words. Requires students to produce a portfolio of short-form sports journalism outputs, simulating the demands of live newsroom production. This aligns with the Framework’s emphasis on?authentic, real-world assessment?and supports learning through?active engagement?with genuine professional challenges. The portfolio structure allows for multiple forms of media expression (text, video, social), encouraging?inclusive assessment?by recognising varied communication strengths while reinforcing core journalistic standards such as accuracy, fairness, and ethical reporting. 0 5000 70 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment  Critique  5 min Vlog (1000 word equivalent). Builds on the above by assessing reflection and self-evaluation through a video journal, aligning with the Framework’s focus on feed forward, student agency, and self-regulated learning. By analysing their teamwork, decision-making, and wellbeing management, students demonstrate a developing sense of professional identity, ethical responsibility, and personal resilience — key attributes of sustainable journalism practice 5 1000 30 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Portfolio 1
Critique 

Reading List

Week 1 – Sports News Values and Storytelling Basics 

Essential Reading 

  • Nicholson, M. (2017) Sport and the Media: Managing the Nexus. Routledge. (Ch. 3). 

  • Boyle, R. & Haynes, R. (2021) Power Play: Sport, the Media and Popular Culture. 

Supplementary Reading 

  • Guardian Sports Desk (2024) ‘How to Write a Match Report’. 

  • Podcast: BBC Sport Reporters’ Notebook. 

 

Week 2 – Interviewing and Observation Techniques 

Essential Reading 

  • Harcup, T. (2022) Journalism: Principles and Practice. Routledge. (Ch. 7: Interviewing). 

  • Lawrence, G. (2020) The Sports Writing Handbook. Bloomsbury. 

Supplementary Reading 

  • Sky Sports Academy resources – “Interviewing Athletes under Pressure”. 

  • BBC Academy: “Questioning with Empathy”. 

Week 3 – Live Reporting and Deadlines 

Essential Reading 

  • Andrews, P. (2019) Sports Journalism: The State of Play. Routledge. (Ch. 5: Live newsrooms). 

  • NCTJ Reporting Live Events Toolkit. 

Supplementary Reading 

  • Press Gazette (2024) ‘Digital live reporting case studies’. 

  • YouTube: Sky Sports Live Workflow. 

Week 4 – Multimedia and Digital Storytelling 

Essential Reading 

  • Briggs, M. (2019) Journalism Next: A Practical Guide to Digital Reporting and Publishing. CQ Press. 

  • Pavlik, J. (2020) Converging Media. Oxford University Press. 

Supplementary Reading 

  • Adobe (2023) Visual Storytelling Essentials for Journalists. 

  • Podcast: The Athletic Football Show – Digital innovation in coverage. 

 

Week 5 – Ethics, Wellbeing and Teamwork in Newsrooms 

Essential Reading 

  • Keeble, R. (2021) Journalism Ethics and Regulation. Routledge. 

  • USW (2024) Student Wellbeing Toolkit for Creative Practitioners. 

Supplementary Reading 

  • Mind in Sport (2023) Wellbeing for Journalists. 

  • TEDx Talk: “Newsroom Stress and Mental Health”. 

Week 6 – Reflection and Portfolio Preparation 

Essential Reading 

  • Harcup, T. (2022) Journalism: Principles and Practice. (Ch. 12: Reflection and professional growth). 

  • USW Careers Service: Building a Journalism Portfolio. 

Supplementary Reading 

  • LinkedIn Learning: Reflective Practice for Creatives. 

  • SJA (2023) Student Awards Portfolios Archive.