Summary of content

This module presents MA Multimedia Journalism students with the opportunity to be assessed for final Masters qualification on a substantial Portfolio of published / publishable / broadcast-standard journalistic work - a requirement for accreditation for Masters by both main journalism accrediting bodies. Building on personal development planning briefings throughout the programme, including students' reports on progress in work experience, and with group and individual tutorial preparation towards the end of the Semester B Assessment Period, students will be encouraged to develop and draw on journalism practical specialisms or interests acquired during the Diploma part of the programme, and be instructed how to propose, present and submit articles / develop broadcast features or documentaries / magazine spreads / features / design, web pages , to achieve the best chance of getting work published or broadcast. The aim is to strive for published print articles / pages wherever possible, although this is not a formal requirement whereas winning TV or radio-documentary broadcast slots for independent freelance productions is logistically harder and not expected as a matter of course. Students will be guided individually on what might constitute the most-effective display of their journalistic talents and achievements in the final portfolio.

Given the multimedia nature of the programme award, students will normally be required to submit a Portfolio covering at least two media, one of them to be broadcast (radio or TV) or online, with min/max length/duration of content in each medium reduced broadly proportionate from the single medium limits indicated below, to their relative size for example, a Project consisting of 22 mins' radio news reports and/or radio news presentation (ie half the minimum amount of radio material), plus 7,000 words of print journalism (ie half the maximum amount of print journalism)

General indicative guidance on the recommended minimum and maximum size and length of the Portfolio element, expressed in single medium terms is proposed as follows:
MinimumMaximum
All print journalism copy10,000words14,000 words
All radio journalism / current affairs / documentary45 mins 90 mins
All TV journalism / current affairs / documentary25 mins 40 mins
All online / web journalism / incl. brief AV elements 20 web pages30 web pages
All newspaper/magazine page layout / production30 A4 pages45 A4 pages

But students will be advised not to attempt a portfolio containing more than two kinds of media output, unless they can demonstrate in their proposal and plan that they have prior completion of some original portfolio-quality work in two media which they have not previously submitted for assessment.

Group working is possible for all or part of a group of students' portfolios, most obviously in producing a TV documentary, magazine/newspaper design & production, or website design and production.

Module structure

Assessment methods