Media and Journalism

UNIT DESCRIPTION

“The central dilemma in journalism is that you don't know what you don't know” (Bob Woodward). This unit provides students with a grounding in investigative journalism and how it differs from other reportage. Students explore the role of investigative journalism in a democratic society and learn how to shed light on issues and events to uncover the unknown for, as the official slogan of The Washington Post states, “Democracy Dies in Darkness." Students learn advanced research skills, how to access public data bases and records, the use of primary and secondary sources, how to conduct in-depth interviews, and how to produce compelling investigative stories. The unit also covers legislation relevant to media professionals and the ethical and legal obligations of investigative journalists. The unit explores several seminal investigative case studies and students produce a substantial investigative feature.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. Reflect critically on the theory and practice of investigative journalism
2. Understand the key ethical and legal obligations associated with investigative journalism
3. Produce an investigative story using advanced research methods
4. Conduct in-depth journalistic interviews

CERTIFICATION

The optional assessment tasks associated with this unit provide an opportunity for participants to consolidate their learning and to benchmark their understanding against the standard set by Chancellor Institute. Participants enrolled in this unit who successfully complete the optional assessments will qualify for a grade, academic transcript and certificate of completion for that unit. For further details about the assessments, please click on the Curriculum tab or contact our course advisors. Additional unit fees apply for students electing to undertake assessments. Participants who elect not to complete the optional assessments for this unit will receive a certificate of participation for the unit.   Shareable on Linkedin. You can share your certificates in the Certifications section of your LinkedIn profile, on printed resumes, CVs, or other documents.