5A005E - Comms and Campaigns 01 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2029 | Version 0

Associated Module Information

Module Code: 5A005E
Module Title: Comms and Campaigns
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Film and TV
Faculty Sub Group: Film and TV
Module Leader: Jennifer Whitney
Module Team:
First Intended Intake: 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: 100444 - media and communication studies
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 0
Valid From 01 Sep 2026
Valid To 31 Aug 2029

Module Aims

The main aims of the module are: 

·        To provide students with a firm understanding of the sector responsible for communications and campaigns and to help them develop insights into how these are used strategically by businesses, broadcasters, brands and individuals to create and deliver messages. 

·        To further enhance their ability to produce, distribute and analyse content that is fit for purpose and to understand what current methods and platforms need to be employed and utilised to do so effectively.

Content Summary

Communications play a foundational role in every area of society and this module aims to provide an introduction to the key concepts and tools of current communications and journalistic practice. Building on learning at Level 4, there will be an emphasis on helping students to develop an understanding of the traditional application and evolving nature of the wider media industry and how it impacts the way information is strategically disseminated and understood by audiences. Students will explore the importance of clear and consistent messages and media trends and examine why some campaigns are more effective than others. They will be able to do this from a practical and theoretical perspective through experiential learning via seminars, workshops and the practical production of artifacts designed to show their understanding of successful campaigns.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Practical classes and workshops 12
Lectures 24
Problem/challenge-based learning 32
Group work 32
Independent Study 100
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Comprehension and implementation of communications and campaigns from a strategic and practical perspective.
LO2 Work to a live brief, combing theory with practice.
LO3 Ability to analyse the effectiveness of their own practice against industry acceptable standards and preferences.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Project Output 1 Group campaign content plan with a range of sample outputs (e.g. video/audio, social content, branding designs). 0 N/A 40 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Self Reflective Assessment 1 Self Reflective Assessment 1 Illustrated video report reflecting on the aspects of the campaign or work experience undertaken and analysing individual performance against industry best practice 2,400 word equivalent 0 2400 60 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2 LO3
Project Output 1 ✔ ✔ ✘
Self Reflective Assessment 1 ✔ ✘ ✔

Reading List

Andersen, K. et al. (2021) Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement: From Baby Boomers to Generation Z. London: Routledge.

Berglund, J. & Carlson, B. (eds.) (2021) Indigenous Peoples Rise Up: The Global Ascendency of Social Media Activism. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

Bernard, J & Russman, U. (2023) Digitalization in public relations—Changing competences: A longitudinal analysis of skills required in PR job ads. Public Relations Review. 49(1) 

Dinçer, E. (2024) Hard and soft skills revisited: Journalism education at the dawn of artificial intelligence. Aydin Adnan Menderes University Journal of Institute of Social Sciences, 11(1): pp. 65-78

Dooley, K., Peng, F., Neville, S. & McKibbin, J. (2024) ‘Mind the gap: A scoping review of skills  gaps for graduates in the creative industries’, Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 23(4), pp.330-349

Gregory, A. (2019) Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns. Routledge. 

Johnson, P., Gran, E. & Cohn, S. (2025) ‘Reflecting, Regulating, Adapting: Metacognition’s Role in Journalism Practices’, Journalism Studies, 26(11), pp.1376-1397

Kite, J. et al. (2024) Mass media campaigns and the ‘file drawer problem’: A mixed methods study of how to avoid campaign failure. PloS One. 19(4)

Kong, H. M. et al. (2021) Sustainability and social media communication: How consumers respond to marketing efforts of luxury and non-luxury fashion brands. Journal of Business Research. 131. pp.640–651.

Laukkarinen, M. (2023), ‘Social media as a place to see and be seen: Exploring factors affecting job attainment via social media’, The Information Society, 39(4), pp.199-212

Minich, M., Loya, L., Culver, K.B. and Needle, J.P. (2024) ‘A Skills-Driven Approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Journalism Curricula’, Journalism Practice, 19(11), pp.2693-2711.

Norbäck, M. (2022) ‘Maintaining a freelance career: How journalists generate and evaluate freelance work’, Journalism Studies, 23(10), pp.1141-1159.

Okorie, N. & Olagunju, T. (2024) Digital Feminism, Social Media Campaigns and Violence Against Women in Nigeria: An Ethnographic Inquest. Agenda. 38(3–4), pp. 83–96.

Orgeret, K. S. et al. (2026) Hashtags, Hatetags and social media campaigns in Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict. Information, Communication & Society. 29(3), pp. 850–868.

Tench, R. & Yeomans, L. (2020). Exploring PR and Management Communication. Pearson. 

Vis, S. and Picone, I. (2024) ‘“It’s a bit like pick and choose”: How young media users assign authority to cultural mediators’, Journalism. 26(10), pp.2166-2183.

Zion, L., Marjoribanks, T. and O’Donnell, P. (2024) ‘Who is a journalist now? Recognising  atypical journalism work in the digital media economy’, Media International Australia, 192(1), pp.98-114.