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This course provides students with an understanding of the forces that shape the selection and presentation of news. It introduces significant theoretical approaches that seek to explain what is news and the criteria by which it is selected; it explores key aspects of the production of news and analyses specific areas of news (foreign, political, sport and crime) in more depth.
COMS102 begins by addressing theories as to what constitutes news before examining the relationship between journalists and their sources – the people who dispense or withhold information – and the power of sources to shape news. After discussing how the nature of the medium – newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the Internet - impacts on the selection and presentation of news, the course looks at the commercial imperatives that drive the media industry. The second half of the course then looks at particular areas of news – crime, sport, politics, diversity – and finally the legal and ethical contexts in which the media operate.
By the end of the course, you should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:- knowledge: you should be able to- understand the concept of news and news values- understand key theoretical ideas about news selection/presentation- identify the forces which shape news selection/presentation- identify the basis for source selection- describe how the characteristics of different media affect news selection/presentation- identify ownership of New Zealand media- describe how commercial imperatives shape newsskills: you should be able to- discuss and compare theoretical ideas about news- discuss the news process- explain impacts of ownership on media- discuss the relationship of journalists and their sources- interpret media content in terms of production dynamics- explain media content in terms of commercial imperatives- critically analyse media content
Jim Tully
Vicki Cran
Tully, Jim , New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation; Intro : a beginner's guide to professional news journalism ; 4th ed; New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation, 2008.
Library portalLearn Referencing for Media & Communication Using EndNote for referencing Writing guides for Media & Communication
Domestic fee $619.00
International fee $2,688.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .