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MAC225Social Sciences2 Unitsintermediate

News Writing & Reporting

This course is designed to equip students with the essential skills for news writing and reporting in contemporary media. It explores the fundamental definitions of news, journalistic formats, and news presentation techniques. Students will learn to craft various types of leads, utilize the inverted pyramid structure, and develop effective writing transitions. The course also covers specialized reporting, press law, and ethical considerations in the media industry.

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64h
Study Time
13
Weeks
5h
Per Week
none
Math Level
Course Keywords
News WritingReportingJournalismMedia EthicsPress Law

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

News Definitions

2

News Values

3

News Writing Rules

4

Interview Techniques

5

News Gathering

6

Inverted Pyramid

7

Broadcast Writing

8

Specialized Reporting

9

Press Freedom

10

Media Law

11

Media Ethics

Total Topics11 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

Correspondent

Apply your skills in this growing field

Editor

Apply your skills in this growing field

Content Creator

Apply your skills in this growing field

Media Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

NewspapersMagazinesTelevisionRadioOnline Media

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: General Introduction

6h

Unit 1: What is News? /Elements of News Values and News Virtues

4 study hours
  • •Define news and its key elements.
  • •Discuss the determinants of news values: timeliness, proximity, prominence, consequence, human interest, novelty, conflict, and necessity.
  • •Identify and explain the components of news: age, animal, sex, conflict, money, children, beauty, and human interest.

Unit 2: Qualities of the News Reporter

2 study hours
  • •Identify and discuss the qualities of a good news reporter.
  • •Explore the motivations of news reporters, such as being first with new facts, pursuing stories with impact, and winning prizes.
Week
2

Module 1: General Introduction

6h

Unit 3: What Motivates the News Reporter?

2 study hours
  • •Discuss what motivates news reporters.
  • •Explore factors such as being first with new facts, pursuing impactful stories, and winning prizes.

Unit 4: General Rules for News Writing

4 study hours
  • •Learn and apply the general rules for news writing.
  • •Focus on accuracy, objectivity, and avoiding editorializing.
Week
3

Module 2: The Basics

6h

Unit 1: Elements of Good Writing/ What Makes for Poor Writing?

4 study hours
  • •Identify and apply the elements of good writing: precision, clarity, pace, transitions, sensory appeal, and analogies.
  • •Recognize and avoid elements that contribute to poor writing, such as dull writing, lack of interest, and vagueness.

Unit 2: Conducting Interviews

2 study hours
  • •Learn how to prepare for and conduct effective interviews.
  • •Understand the different types of interviews and how to phrase questions appropriately.
Week
4

Module 2: The Basics

6h

Unit 3: News Gathering and Sources

4 study hours
  • •Explore news gathering techniques and identify reliable sources.
  • •Learn how to handle on- and off-the-record information professionally.

Unit 4: Journalese

2 study hours
  • •Recognize and avoid journalese in news writing.
  • •Focus on clear and concise language.
Week
5

Module 3: News Writing and Reporting for the Print Media

6h

Unit 1: The Lead

3 study hours
  • •Define the lead and its importance in news writing.
  • •Identify and explain the functions and features of a lead.
  • •Practice writing effective leads.

Unit 2: The Story Structure/Components of the Story

3 study hours
  • •Understand the inverted pyramid format and its advantages.
  • •Identify and explain the 5Ws and H.
  • •Learn the components of a news story.
Week
6

Module 3: News Writing and Reporting for the Print Media

6h

Unit 3: Types of News Stories

2 study hours
  • •Identify and explain the different types of news stories.
  • •Learn to write various types of news stories, including straightforward, investigative, and interpretative stories.

Unit 4: The Qualities of a Good News Story

2 study hours
  • •Identify and discuss the qualities of a good news story.
  • •Understand the elements by which news stories are evaluated.

Unit 5: Checklist before a Reporter Writes a Story

2 study hours
  • •Use the checklist before writing a story to ensure completeness and accuracy.
  • •Review and refine news writing skills.
Week
7

Module 4: News Writing and Reporting for the Broadcast Media

6h

Unit 1: Criteria for Selecting Broadcast Stories

3 study hours
  • •Understand the criteria for selecting broadcast stories.
  • •Focus on timeliness, information, audio/visual impact, and facts.

Unit 2: Style

3 study hours
  • •Learn the style guidelines for broadcast writing.
  • •Apply these guidelines to create clear and concise broadcast copies.
Week
8

Module 4: News Writing and Reporting for the Broadcast Media

6h

Unit 3: Features/Structure of a Broadcast News Story

3 study hours
  • •Identify the features and structure of a broadcast news story.
  • •Understand the roles of news highlights, leads, correspondents' reports, and lead-ins/lead-outs.

Unit 4: Writing a Broadcast Copy

3 study hours
  • •Learn how to write effective broadcast copies.
  • •Practice writing news stories for radio and television.
Week
9

Module 5: Specialized Reporting

6h

Unit 1: Introduction to Specialized Reporting

3 study hours
  • •Define specialized reporting and its importance.
  • •Understand the qualities of a specialized reporter.

Unit 2: Reporting from the Beats

3 study hours
  • •Explore the techniques for reporting from various beats.
  • •Learn how to gather and present information from specific areas of coverage.
Week
10

Module 5: Specialized Reporting

6h

Unit 3: Online Reporting

3 study hours
  • •Understand the principles of online reporting.
  • •Learn how to write and present news for online platforms.

Unit 4: Follows

3 study hours
  • •Explore the concept of follow-up stories.
  • •Learn how to write second-cycle stories, developing stories, and updates.
Week
11

Module 6: Advanced Reporting

6h

Unit 1: Science and Technology Reporting

3 study hours
  • •Understand the skills required for science and technology reporting.
  • •Learn how to interpret complex information for a general audience.

Unit 2: Reporting Sports

3 study hours
  • •Explore the techniques for reporting sports.
  • •Understand the role of sports reporters and the qualities needed to succeed in this field.
Week
12

Module 6: Advanced Reporting

6h

Unit 3: Political Reporting

3 study hours
  • •Learn the skills required for political reporting.
  • •Understand the functions of a political reporter and the challenges they face.

Unit 4: Economy and Business Reporting

3 study hours
  • •Explore the techniques for reporting on the economy and business.
  • •Understand the role of business reporters and the qualities needed to succeed in this field.
Week
13

Module 7: The Reporter, The Law and Ethical Issues

6h

Unit 5: Reporting Crime, Accidents and the Courts

3 study hours
  • •Learn the skills required for reporting crime, accidents, and court proceedings.
  • •Understand the legal and ethical considerations in this area of reporting.

Unit 1: Press Freedom

3 study hours
  • •Understand the concept of press freedom and its limitations.
  • •Explore the basic press laws and ethical issues in media practice.

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 unit objectives and self-assessment exercises.

2

Create summaries of key concepts from each module.

3

Practice writing news stories using different formats (inverted pyramid, broadcast style).

4

Study relevant press laws and ethical guidelines.

5

Analyze current news articles to identify news values and reporting techniques.

6

Form study groups to discuss challenging concepts and share notes.

7

Focus on understanding the differences between reporting for print and broadcast media.

8

Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 database concepts

9

Practice SQL queries from Units 7-9 weekly

10

Review all TMAs

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