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JLS111Social Sciences3 Unitsintermediate

Introduction to Journalism

This course introduces the fundamental principles of journalism, focusing on writing and reporting for mass media. It explores the history and development of journalism, both globally and within Nigeria, examining pre- and post-independence eras. The course covers news gathering, writing, and editing, including journalistic style, headline writing, and interviewing techniques. Students will also learn about media laws, including contempt of court, defamation, and copyright, essential for ethical and legal journalism practice.

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150h
Study Time
13
Weeks
12h
Per Week
none
Math Level
Course Keywords
JournalismNews WritingMedia LawReportingEthics

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
📚
Math Level
No Math
🔬
Learning Type
Hands-on Practice

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

History of Journalism

2

News Writing

3

Editing

4

Headline Writing

5

Journalistic Style

6

Media Law

Total Topics6 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

tutor-marked assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

final examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Computer Based Test

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Reporter

Apply your skills in this growing field

Editor

Apply your skills in this growing field

Sub-Editor

Apply your skills in this growing field

Correspondent

Apply your skills in this growing field

News Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

NewspapersMagazinesRadio StationsTelevision StationsOnline News Platforms

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: Journalism Development and Structure

2h

Unit 1: The Development of Journalism: A Historical Approach

2 study hours
  • •Read about the evolution of journalism.
  • •Understand the role of technology in shaping journalism.
  • •Discuss the impact of political and economic factors on press freedom.
Week
2

Module 1: Journalism Development and Structure

2h

Unit 2: Journalism Development in Nigeria: Pre-Independence Period

2 study hours
  • •Examine the influence of missionary journalism.
  • •Analyze the role of alien-dominated press.
  • •Discuss the rise of indigenous press and its impact on Nigerian nationalism.
Week
3

Module 1: Journalism Development and Structure

2h

Unit 3: Journalism Development in Nigeria: Post Independence Era

2 study hours
  • •Analyze the regionalistic nature of the press.
  • •Discuss the press during the Civil War and military rule.
  • •Examine the role of the press in the Second Republic and post-republic era.
Week
4

Module 1: Journalism Development and Structure

2h

Unit 4: The Journalism Industry: Key Structural Make Up

2 study hours
  • •Understand the structure of news industry.
  • •Learn about the roles of editorial, production, and business departments.
  • •Discuss the functions of key personnel in each department.
Week
5

Module 2:

2h

Unit 1: The Nature of News

2 study hours
  • •Define news and its determinants.
  • •Understand the concepts of timeliness, proximity, prominence, consequence, and human interest.
  • •Differentiate between straight, investigative, and interpretative news reports.
Week
6

Module 2:

4h

Unit 2: Writing the News

2 study hours
  • •Learn about news structures (pyramid, inverted pyramid, modified inverted pyramid).
  • •Understand how to write news leads.
  • •Identify different types of leads (cartridge, punch, crowded, astonisher, shirt-tail, summary, effect).

Unit 3: Editing the Copy

2 study hours
  • •Understand copy editing functions (creative, managerial, policing).
  • •Learn about copy editor tools (equipment, reminders, symbols, references).
  • •Practice using editing symbols.
Week
7

Module 2:

2h

Unit 4: Headline Writing

2 study hours
  • •Define headline writing and its functions.
  • •Understand headline schedules and writing guides.
  • •Learn about headline counts and headline copy.
Week
8

Module 3:

2h

Unit 1: Essentials of Journalistic Style

2 study hours
  • •Understand the meaning of style in writing.
  • •Differentiate between formal, informal, and colloquial styles.
  • •Learn about the essentials of good journalistic writing (clarity, conciseness, correctness, courteousness, candidness, concreteness, completeness, coherence, concord, simplicity).
Week
9

Module 3:

2h

Unit 2: Elements of Good News Reporting

2 study hours
  • •Understand the elements of good news reporting (identification, attribution, capitalization, abbreviation, numbering, punctuation, word division).
  • •Apply these elements in news writing.
Week
10

Module 3:

2h

Unit 3: Interviewing and News Sources

2 study hours
  • •Define interviewing and its purpose.
  • •Identify different types of interviews (exclusive, panel, vox populi, personality, news, feature, sport).
  • •Learn about interviewing techniques (preparation, questions, mechanical devices, appearance, punctuality, eye contact, note-taking, verification).
Week
11

Module 4:

2h

Unit 1: Contempt of Court

2 study hours
  • •Understand what contempt of court entails.
  • •Identify types of contempt (polluting the stream of justice, scandalizing the courts, contempt in the face of the court).
  • •Learn about the checklist for reporting summary trials.
Week
12

Module 4:

2h

Unit 2: Court Reporting

2 study hours
  • •Understand the general background information on court reporting.
  • •Learn about the rules of writing a good court report.
  • •Apply these rules in practice.
Week
13

Module 4:

2h

Unit 3: Knowing the Courts in Nigeria

2 study hours
  • •Describe the system of courts in Nigeria.
  • •List the types and hierarchy of courts.
  • •Describe the types of cases handled by each court.
  • •Describe the basic composition of each court.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Review all units, focusing on key concepts and definitions.

2

Practice writing news stories and headlines based on different scenarios.

3

Study media law cases and examples to understand legal principles.

4

Create flashcards for key terms and concepts.

5

Participate in group discussions to clarify doubts and exchange ideas.

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