What is Journalism?
The programme is designed to reflect the contemporary journalistic environment providing a grounding in a wide range of disciplines, while maintaining a focus on key journalistic skills. Journalism today retains a concentration on hard news reporting but contemporary publications from broadsheet newspapers to lifestyle magazines have broadened their ranges to cover sports, arts, travel, entertainment, business and opinion among other areas. The BA (Hons) in Journalism programme at DBS aims to reflect this diversity by providing students with a set of key journalistic skills enhanced by a wide-ranging knowledge base.
Aims and Objectives
The objectives of the BA (Hons) in Journalism programme are as follows:
- To provide students with a broad range of journalistic skills and intensive training in a number of fundamental areas, including reporting and information gathering, news and feature writing, writing for broadcast journalism, copy-editing, layout and design and recording for radio and television
- To provide students with the knowledge and understanding of professional practice that will allow them to operate effectively in contemporary media, including training in industry-standard software such as QuarkXPress layout and ProTools sound editing, and an appreciation for the legal and ethical parameters in which they will be working
- To encourage students to become self-directed and to provide training in working to deadline with the production of the students’ own magazine. This will give students the opportunity to see their work published, along with the first-hand experience of deadline pressures
- To provide students with the Arts foundation which will allow them become confident and selfreflexive practitioners of various forms of journalism.
Programme Structure
The programme is divided into three levels, with students commencing the programme at level one and progressing through to level three. The programme is taken in its entirety.
During Level 1 students are introduced to the basic elements and skills of journalism in additionto a range of cognate disciplines. The routines of journalistic practice are introduced in basic news reporting, which also teaches students how to structure and write news stories. Students learnfoundation broadcasting skills such as basic lighting, sound and video recording and are alsogiven a thorough grounding in IT, and photography skills. In addition, students also take the‘Journalism Learning Lab’ a year long module which introduces the academic conventions of higher education. The learning lab is a learner centered module which develops academicawareness, communication skills, research skills and encourages learner participation.
At Level 2 students develop their writing skills and receive training in specialised areas including feature writing/freelance journalism, shorthand, and copy-editing, design and layout. In addition to production skills at Level 2 students develop their understanding of the media business, dealing with issues such as news story analysis and the legal and ethical dimensions of modern media. Students will also get the opportunity to learn more about political and economic realms of Irish life.
At Level 3 students will be in a position to consolidate the skills and knowledge they have gained so far. They will also have the opportunity to become involved in the production of the student magazine. Advanced news and broadcast journalism techniques are taught and specialist areas such as business, magazine, and sports reportage are also examined. New media journalism is covered in year three and at this level students also study the skills, roles and responsibilities of journalists and the position of the profession internationally. Students also undertake a final year thesis, which allows them to explore a journalistic issue of their choosing in detail.
Programme Duration
This programme can be completed in four years, attending classes on 2 nights per week from 6:15 to 9:30 pm. Advice on module selection will be available to all students prior to the commencement of the course.
Teaching & Assessment
The degree offers a balance of practical and analytical tasks, with the emphasis on attaining a broad knowledge of the many facetsof the discipline. Throughout the course some modules are assessed by examination, others by a combination of coursework and examination, or by coursework alone, distributed throughout the course. Coursework includes essays, written news stories, feature writing, case studies, individual and group presentations, timed shorthand assessments, practical projects and a dissertation.
Further Career & Study Options
This degree prepares you for a wide range of careers in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, video, public relations and new media industries, as well as other professional and positions in communications, marketing and public relations industries and many different jobs in the arts and the voluntary sector. Our graduates have gone on to a wide range of media related careers, from newspapers and magazines to local radio and television as well as PR.