Writing for Mass Media II
- Social Sciences
- 100 level
- 2 credit units
- 224 pages
- 14 units
This course introduces students to the fundamental principles and skills required for effective writing in mass media contexts. It explores various writing styles, paragraph organization, and the importance of word choice. Students will learn to write legally and responsibly, develop creative writing skills, and conduct journalistic interviews. The course also covers online journalism, media law and ethics, correspondent reporting, and news presentation, preparing students for diverse roles in the media industry.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 208 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor Marked Assignments
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of MAC118, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
MAC118 · UNIT 1 :UNDERSTANDING THE WRITING PROCESS
PENCIL – the word ‘pencil’ comes from a Latin word pencillum, meaning ‘a little tail’; this name was applied by the Roman to the brushes used for drawing and painting. Today, pencil leads are made of powdered graphite and clay moistened into paste, then forced out of holes into a cylinder.
What you should be able to do
- Understand media writing principles
- Apply different writing styles
- Write legally and responsibly
- Develop creative writing skills
- Conduct journalistic interviews
What it prepares you for
- Journalist
- Content Writer
- Public Relations Specialist
- Editor
- Correspondent
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Television
- Radio
- Online Media
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2: Perspectives in Media Writing
Unit 2: Law and Ethics of Media Writing
Complex legal concepts and terminology require careful study and understanding of case law.
- Module 3: Creative Media Writing
Unit 1: Comedy Writing
Requires understanding of joke structure, comedic timing, and audience engagement techniques.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 118 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Rudiments of Media Writing
Unit 1: Understanding the Writing Process · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Understanding the Writing Process. Understand the writing process, writing tools, and instruments.. Identify the stages involved in writing and their importance..
- Week 2Module 1: Rudiments of Media Writing
Unit 2: Feature Writing · 3 hours
Read Unit 2: Feature Writing. Understand the definition of a feature and its common denominators.. Identify different types of features and how to write them effectively..
- Week 3Module 1: Rudiments of Media Writing
Unit 3: Editorial Writing · 4 hours
Read Unit 3: Editorial Writing. Understand how to frame an editorial opinion and the purposes of editorials.. Identify different types of editorials and how to write them for print and broadcast..
- Week 4Module 1: Rudiments of Media Writing
Unit 4: Simple Story Structures Rewrite, Advance, Follow up · 5 hours
Read Unit 4: Simple Story Structures Rewrite, Advance, Follow up. Understand print story structure, manuscript mechanics, and organization.. Learn how to hold reader interest and write radio and TV news..
- Week 5Module 1: Rudiments of Media Writing
Unit 5: Media Writing: Skills And Practices · 6 hours
Read Unit 5: Media Writing: Skills And Practices. Understand the skills and practices needed for effective media writing.. Learn how to organize material to appeal to the reading public and avoid writing errors..
- Week 6Module 2: Perspectives in Media Writing
Unit 1: Writing For the On-Line Journalism · 7 hours
Read Unit 1: Writing For the On-Line Journalism. Understand the development of computer-assisted reporting (CAR).. Learn about computers and journalism and the forces driving CAR..
- Week 7Module 2: Perspectives in Media Writing
Unit 2: Law and Ethics of Media Writing · 8 hours
Read Unit 2: Law and Ethics of Media Writing. Understand libel and slander and contempt of court.. Learn about invasion of privacy and other reportorial dangers..
- Week 8Module 2: Perspectives in Media Writing
Unit 3: Correspondent Reporting · 9 hours
Read Unit 3: Correspondent Reporting. Understand the definition and qualification of a correspondent.. Learn about staff correspondents, foreign correspondents, and gallery/lobby correspondents..
- Week 9Module 2: Perspectives in Media Writing
Unit 4: Presenting the News · 10 hours
Read Unit 4: Presenting the News. Understand learning presentation and methods of presentation.. Learn about the place of description, suspense, preparing copy, and putting the newscast together..
- Week 10Module 2: Perspectives in Media Writing
Unit 5: Leads and Captions · 11 hours
Read Unit 5: Leads and Captions. Understand the definition of leads and captions.. Learn about leads as story patterns, types of print news leads, and guidelines for print and broadcast news leads..
- Week 11Module 3: Creative Media Writing
Unit 1: Comedy Writing · 12 hours
Read Unit 1: Comedy Writing. Understand basic concepts of comedy and the art of being funny.. Learn about the anatomy of a joke, comedy style, and the dos and don'ts of comedy writing..
- Week 12Module 3: Creative Media Writing
Unit 2: Book Reviewing · 13 hours
Read Unit 2: Book Reviewing. Understand the functions of the reviewer.. Learn about preparation and training, methods of reviewing, and technical reviewing..
- Week 13Module 3: Creative Media Writing
Unit 3: Specialization · 14 hours
Read Unit 3: Specialization. Understand the need for specialization and how to become a specialist.. Learn about some specialist fields..
Unit 4: Interviewing · 14 hours
Read Unit 4: Interviewing. Understand how to plan and conduct an interview.. Learn how to tackle note-taking, handle unwilling interviewees, and present interview material..
Preparing for the exam
- Review all units, focusing on key concepts and examples.
- Practice writing different types of media content, such as news articles, features, and editorials.
- Study media law and ethics to understand legal and ethical considerations.
- Analyze successful media writing examples to identify effective techniques.
- Create outlines and summaries of each unit to aid in recall.
- Practice writing under timed conditions to improve speed and efficiency.
Questions students ask about this course
What is MAC118 about?
This course introduces students to the fundamental principles and skills required for effective writing in mass media contexts. It explores various writing styles, paragraph organization, and the importance of word choice. Students will learn to write legally and responsibly, develop creative writing skills, and conduct journalistic interviews. The course also covers online journalism, media law and ethics, correspondent reporting, and news presentation, preparing students for diverse roles in the media industry.
How many units does MAC118 have?
MAC118, Writing for Mass Media II, has 14 units across 3 modules, over 224 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is MAC118?
MAC118 carries 2 credit units, at 100 level in Social Sciences.
Is MAC118 hard?
MAC118 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does MAC118 take to study?
About 208 hours of study, spread across its 14 units.
How is MAC118 assessed?
MAC118 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assignments and Final Examination.
What can I do with MAC118?
Journalist, Content Writer, Public Relations Specialist, Editor and Correspondent.