News Writing & Reporting
- Social Sciences
- 200 level
- 2 credit units
- 190 pages
- 28 units
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.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 64 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of MAC225, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
MAC225 · UNIT 1: WHAT IS NEWS? /ELEMENTS OF NEWS VALUES AND NEWS VIRTUES
William G. Bleyer defines it like this: News is anything timely that interests a number of people; and the best news is that which has the greatest interest for the greatest number.
What you should be able to do
- Define news and identify its key elements.
- Apply general rules for news writing and reporting.
- Conduct effective interviews and gather information from various sources.
- Write news stories using the inverted pyramid format.
- Write news stories for broadcast media.
- Understand the basics of specialized reporting.
- Discuss press freedom, basic press laws, and ethical issues in media practice.
What it prepares you for
- Reporter
- Correspondent
- Editor
- Content Creator
- Media Analyst
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Television
- Radio
- Online Media
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 6: Advanced Reporting
Unit 4: Economy and Business Reporting
Advanced calculus integration techniques require strong mathematical foundation
- Module 7: The Reporter, The Law and Ethical Issues
Unit 2: Basic Press Laws
Ethical frameworks and case studies require critical thinking and nuanced understanding of conflicting values
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 78 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: General Introduction
Unit 1: What is News? /Elements of News Values and News Virtues · 4 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 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 2Module 1: General Introduction
Unit 3: What Motivates the News Reporter? · 2 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 hours
Learn and apply the general rules for news writing.. Focus on accuracy, objectivity, and avoiding editorializing..
- Week 3Module 2: The Basics
Unit 1: Elements of Good Writing/ What Makes for Poor Writing? · 4 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 hours
Learn how to prepare for and conduct effective interviews.. Understand the different types of interviews and how to phrase questions appropriately..
- Week 4Module 2: The Basics
Unit 3: News Gathering and Sources · 4 hours
Explore news gathering techniques and identify reliable sources.. Learn how to handle on- and off-the-record information professionally..
Unit 4: Journalese · 2 hours
Recognize and avoid journalese in news writing.. Focus on clear and concise language..
- Week 5Module 3: News Writing and Reporting for the Print Media
Unit 1: The Lead · 3 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 hours
Understand the inverted pyramid format and its advantages.. Identify and explain the 5Ws and H.. Learn the components of a news story..
- Week 6Module 3: News Writing and Reporting for the Print Media
Unit 3: Types of News Stories · 2 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 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 hours
Use the checklist before writing a story to ensure completeness and accuracy.. Review and refine news writing skills..
- Week 7Module 4: News Writing and Reporting for the Broadcast Media
Unit 1: Criteria for Selecting Broadcast Stories · 3 hours
Understand the criteria for selecting broadcast stories.. Focus on timeliness, information, audio/visual impact, and facts..
Unit 2: Style · 3 hours
Learn the style guidelines for broadcast writing.. Apply these guidelines to create clear and concise broadcast copies..
- Week 8Module 4: News Writing and Reporting for the Broadcast Media
Unit 3: Features/Structure of a Broadcast News Story · 3 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 hours
Learn how to write effective broadcast copies.. Practice writing news stories for radio and television..
- Week 9Module 5: Specialized Reporting
Unit 1: Introduction to Specialized Reporting · 3 hours
Define specialized reporting and its importance.. Understand the qualities of a specialized reporter..
Unit 2: Reporting from the Beats · 3 hours
Explore the techniques for reporting from various beats.. Learn how to gather and present information from specific areas of coverage..
- Week 10Module 5: Specialized Reporting
Unit 3: Online Reporting · 3 hours
Understand the principles of online reporting.. Learn how to write and present news for online platforms..
Unit 4: Follows · 3 hours
Explore the concept of follow-up stories.. Learn how to write second-cycle stories, developing stories, and updates..
- Week 11Module 6: Advanced Reporting
Unit 1: Science and Technology Reporting · 3 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 hours
Explore the techniques for reporting sports.. Understand the role of sports reporters and the qualities needed to succeed in this field..
- Week 12Module 6: Advanced Reporting
Unit 3: Political Reporting · 3 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 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 13Module 7: The Reporter, The Law and Ethical Issues
Unit 5: Reporting Crime, Accidents and the Courts · 3 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 hours
Understand the concept of press freedom and its limitations.. Explore the basic press laws and ethical issues in media practice..
Preparing for the exam
- Review all unit objectives and self-assessment exercises.
- Create summaries of key concepts from each module.
- Practice writing news stories using different formats (inverted pyramid, broadcast style).
- Study relevant press laws and ethical guidelines.
- Analyze current news articles to identify news values and reporting techniques.
- Form study groups to discuss challenging concepts and share notes.
- Focus on understanding the differences between reporting for print and broadcast media.
- Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 database concepts
- Practice SQL queries from Units 7-9 weekly
- Review all TMAs
Questions students ask about this course
What is MAC225 about?
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.
How many units does MAC225 have?
MAC225, News Writing & Reporting, has 28 units across 7 modules, over 190 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is MAC225?
MAC225 carries 2 credit units, at 200 level in Social Sciences.
Is MAC225 hard?
MAC225 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does MAC225 take to study?
About 64 hours of study, spread across its 28 units.
How is MAC225 assessed?
MAC225 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.
What can I do with MAC225?
Reporter, Correspondent, Editor, Content Creator and Media Analyst.