Specialist Journalism: Sport

Module code: JO6007
Year: 2018/9
Level: 6
Credits: 30
Pre-requisites: Successful completion of level 5 requirements or equivalent for journalism field
Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module offers an introduction to and broad experience of sports journalism. It is a practical course aimed at helping students to develop their writing and reporting skills to produce professional sports copy, including deadline-driven match reports, running copy, interviews, sports news stories, profiles, factboxes, comment, analysis and newspaper/multi-media sports packages. It also aims to help students understand the context and pressures under which sports journalism is produced in the modern media.
Workshops, alongside live reporting assignments, will be used to explain concepts and develop skills. During project work in the second half of the module, students will produce a publishable sports package. Guidance will be offered though seminars and tutorials.

Aims

To enable students to have a working understanding of how sports journalism is produced across print and online media.
To foster an understanding of the pressures involved in the production of sports journalism and an appreciation of the importance of working to deadlines, including online/agency rolling deadlines.
To offer an insight, though study and practical experience, into the role of sports journalism in the modern media and its relationship to other forms of journalism.
To develop skills that allow students to produce a range of journalism across different sports and using a variety of techniques from match reporting and running copy, to interviewing.
To equip students with the skills and confidence necessary to undertake a well researched, original, extended individual project.

Learning outcomes

Write a match report to a professional standard, including filing urgent copy to a deadline
Research and produce a wide range of other sports journalism, including news and previews, interviews and profiles and comment and analysis.
Display a keen and critical awareness of the relationship of sports journalism to other forms of journalism and the different pressures involved in producing sports copy for a multimedia audience.
Demonstrate an ability to work independently and at length on an extended individual project involving significant primary research and the use of a variety of different processes and/or mediums
Produce an in-depth sports package of publishable standard for online and/or print media demonstrating use of different forms of sports writing/content.

Curriculum content

Match reporting; practice in workshops on recorded events and live at sporting fixtures where possible
Running copy; practice in workshops and at live events where feasible.
Sports news and news values in sport; discussion and evaluation of what makes news in sport and why; changing news values in sports coverage; changing methods of sports newsgathering.
Sports previewing; techniques for one of sports journalism's key features.
Sports pictures/visuals
Analysis, interviews and profiles
Reporting minor/non-mainstream sports
The relationship between sports journalism and general news/financial reporting and other forms of journalism
Devising, researching and constructing a cohesive body of work, using a range journalism techniques and/or platforms.

Teaching and learning strategy

This module will be delivered in the first semester through weekly two hour workshops. Workshops will involve practical work involving real sports coverage supported by short talks, hand-outs and presentations by working sports journalism practitioners. In the second semester students will prepare an in-depth sports package, previewing or reporting on a major sporting event. This in-depth work will be supported by tutorials and/or seminars of approximately five hours per student but this may vary. Students will be expected to undertake considerable study and practical work outside classroom time and by the nature of the subject this will include evening and weekend work, for example to cover sports events and undertake interview. Students will also be expected to show a good sporting knowledge during the course and a willingness to extend that knowledge beyond the mainstream/popular sports. They will be given the opportunity to test themselves in live situations. Reading of sporting coverage, keeping abreast of issues in sports journalism and the changing role of the sports writer will be an essential part of progressing through the module.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category	Indicative Description	Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching	11x2hr workshops, 5x 1hr seminar/tutorial per student	27
Scheduled learning and teaching	Study, practice, development of individual project	273
Total (number of credits x 10)		300

Assessment strategy

The assessment for this module is designed to test the ability of students to produce fast, coherent, entertaining match coverage, to distinguish between different types of sports journalism and to put into practice what they have learned in the form of a live match report, a sports feature/features and an individual in-depth project. It is also intended to test students' awareness of major stories, issues and debates in the world of sport.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome	Assessment Strategy
Write and update a match report including fast result summary to deadline and to a professional standard.	Students will practise match reporting from a variety of events and their work will be assessed formatively through peer group tutor and (where feasible) visiting professional sub-editing. Summative assessment through live match report.
Research and produce a wide range of other sports journalism, including news and previews, interviews and profiles and comment and analysis.	Formatively assessed through regular writing assignments and work-in-progress evaluations by tutor of features and sports packages. Summative assessment of finished articles/sports package.
Display a keen and critical awareness of the relationship of sports journalism to other forms of journalism and the different pressures involved in producing sports copy for a specific, niche or general multimedia audience.	Formative assessment in class/workshop discussion contribution and during work-in progress evaluations of match reports/features/sports package. Summative assessment in balance and scope of sports package.
Produce an in-depth sports package of publishable standard for online and/or print media demonstrating use of different forms of sports writing/content.	Formative assessment during work-in progress tutorials and tutor/peer-led seminar discussions. Summative assessment of finished package.