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• Undergraduate study:
• Courses
• Order a prospectus
• How to apply
• Information for applicants
• Why choose Kingston University
• Disability and mental health support
• Accommodation
• Undergraduate fees
• Fees, funding and payments
• Access, participation and inclusion

Journalism in the Wider World

• Module code: JO4004
• Year: 2018/9
• Level: 4
• Credits: 30
• Pre-requisites: None
• Co-requisites: None

Summary

A key part of a journalist's role is to inform readers what is going on in the world. To do this well, journalists have to understand how the world works and why. This module aims to build on existing understanding to provide students with the necessary political, economic, historical social and cultural context to underpin their development as journalists. Areas for exploration and discussion will include Britain's role in the world; the UK's relationship with Europe, the US and the developing world; British institutions and their role and influence (including the monarchy, parliament, the judiciary, Whitehall, religious bodies, universities, local government, banks and finance houses) and the history and emergence of competing ideologies such as capitalism, socialism and liberalism. The module will explore emerging social and cultural trends and the way these are covered in the media. Underpinning the module will be the key questions of "Where does power lie?" "Who has control?" "Who is responsible?" "Who really runs things?"

Aims

• To build on students' existing knowledge and understanding of UK and global political and economic structures and relate these to the news agenda.
• To develop an understanding of key national debates and the positions held by different sections of society.
• To explore underlying networks of power and influence in British society and relate these to the news agenda.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module students will be able to:

• identify and explain the roles of key UK institutions of government and their importance in decision-making processes.
• show an understanding of the political, legal and economic relationships between the UK and its European and global trading partners.
• analyse the historical forces which have shaped political, social, economic and cultural patterns in the UK and the wider world.
• analyse and critique the arguments in national and international debates about resources, priorities, rights and responsibilities
• apply their understanding of all the above to news-gathering processes and journalistic output to provide context for unfolding stories.

Curriculum content

The curriculum content will be organised under four broad interlinking themes relevant to the work of journalists including: 

• Politics/law: structure, organisation and role of key UK political institutions, including the House of Commons, the House of Lords, local and regional councils; structure, organisation and role of EU political institutions and the UK's role in the EU; global relationships (G8, G20, summits on world issues such as climate change, the environment and overseas aid); the structure of the judiciary and the relationship between judges and parliament.
• History/philosophy: the growth of parliamentary democracy; the role of the monarchy; the decline of the Church; Britain's place in the world and its idea of itself; the emergence of a free press and its role in the shaping of a democracy; the shift from nation-states to global  alliances; Britain in a post-Cold War world. 
• Economics: models of capitalism and interventionism; the limits on state power and ownership; the shift from public to private and changing economic priorities; the role of the banks and the Treasury; the balance between taxes and benefits; Monetarists v Keynesians; new emerging superpowers and the shift from East to West;
• Society and culture: the emergence of a multicultural society; the changing face of religious belief; ethical debates (for example assisted dying; the right to expensive treatments on the NHS, gay marriage) and how these debates are being framed within society; the death of political deference; changing family structures.

Teaching and learning strategy

The teaching and learning strategy in this module is designed to give students opportunities to acquire a detailed knowledge and understanding of the wider world within which they will be operating as journalists. It will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars but the emphasis will be on seminar debate and discussion to create a forum for exploring contexts and ideas. Students will also have the opportunity to work together to carry out research for class discussion. There will be significant emphasis on the use of current examples and the way in which debates/attitudes/issues are addressed in the media to explore the key themes of the module.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Assessment strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to test students' ability both to process and apply factual information  about the roles and structures of institutions and also, on a deeper level, to analyse and critique the content of national debates and the way issues are portrayed in the media. With the curriculum divided into four sections across the year (as indicated in the curriculum content), there will be a two-part assessment at the end of each of these sections. One part of this will be a series of four answer timed test, which will assess speed and accuracy of response (vital in a newsroom). The other part will be a two hour exam, which will require students to demonstrate an ability to analyse and critique debates and understand different points of view. During the year, students will be expected to carry out research on media coverage of one or more specific issues in each of the sections which they will present to the rest of the group. They will receive formative feedback from tutors and peers on presentations.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Elements of Assessment

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module

Bibliography core texts

Morrison, James (2011), Public Affairs for Journalists, Oxford: OUP

Sampson, Anthony (2005) Who runs this place? An anatomy of Britain in the 21st century John Murray

Bibliography recommended reading

Brooke, Heather (2010) Silent State, London: Heinemann

Cohen, Nick (2012) You can't read this book, London: 4th Estate

Curran, James and Seaton, Jean (2010), Power without responsibility:The press and broadcasting in Britain (7^th edition) . London: Routledge.

Grayling, A.C (2007) Towards the light London: Bloomsbury

Jones, Bill and Norton, Philip (2010), Politics UK (7^th edition), London: Longman

Jowell, Jeffrey and Dawn Oliver (2011) The changing constitution Oxford University Press

McCormick, John (2011) Understanding the European Union 5^th edition Palgrave MacMillan

Mill, John Stuart (2006) On liberty Penguin Classics

Marx, Karl (2004) The Communist Manifesto Penguin Classics

Paxman, Jeremy (1999) The English: A portrait of a people London: Penguin