Course overview
The aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge and skills to effectively and ethically use mobile devices and social media as professional journalists, to: gather and distribute news and other stories; engage with audiences; navigate disinformation; and create and maintain a professional social media presence. Students explore concepts and strategies to build an understanding of how mobile-first technology is changing journalism, and how news organisations adopt a digital-first approach using social networks to gather, analyse and report. The course also teaches students the knowledge and skills journalists are expected to have: to manage social media efficiently, effectively, legally and ethically; and to build a dynamic professional online presence and drive traffic to their stories.
Course learning outcomes
- identify and explain media organisations' digital-first mobile and social media policies
- critically analyse the role and impact of the audience in journalism production and the role journalists play in combatting disinformation
- apply journalistic values to locate credible user-generated content and harness audience engagement through collaboration and co-creation
- demonstrate high-level research and analytical skills using social media to create and disseminate stories in different styles for different platforms and audiences
- create and maintain a professional journalistic social media presence