JoMeC Network Project
Threshold Learning Outcomes
Learning and teaching academic standards project
Journalism, Media and Communication Network
Scope
This statement of threshold learning outcomes (TLOs) is intended to cover programs of study
that lead to the award of a bachelor’s degree defined as Level 7 in the Australian
Qualifications Framework (AQF) – with a major in the fields of journalism, public relations,
communication and/or media studies (hereinafter referred to as JoMeC programs).
This statement applies to those bachelor-level degrees where a set of topics/courses in
subject areas relating to journalism, public relations, communication and/or media studies
have been designated or recognised by the higher education provider (HEP) as constituting a
major. Although a major might generally be understood to comprise a sequence of subjects in
a particular discipline from an introductory level through to an advanced level, this statement
does not assume any specific definition of a major, in recognition of the different ways in
which Higher Education Providers organise majors.
Programs of study in journalism, public relations, communication and/or media studies are
frequently inter-disciplinary in nature, reflecting the diversity and dynamic character of the
fields of inquiry represented in the JoMeC cluster. JoMeC programs are most frequently
housed in faculties of Arts or Humanities and Social Sciences; however, such majors are also
offered through degrees relating to Creative Industries, Creative Arts, Applied Media,
Communication and Cultural Studies, Business, Commerce, and other specialties.
These TLOs have been developed in consultation with the broad JoMeC community, but are
intended for use for professional or vocational-oriented programs of journalism and
public relations. Draft TLOs are attached for majors in communication and/or media studies;
however, the disciplinary communities have not yet endorsed these statements.
This statement does not assume any specific nomenclature for a degree within which a major
is located. It also recognises the diversity of description among providers. Common
nomenclatures for bachelor degrees with JoMeC majors include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of
Communication, Bachelor of Journalism, Bachelor of Media, Bachelor of Creative
Arts/Industries, Bachelor of Public Relations, Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies,
Bachelor of Professional Communication and Bachelor of Media and Communication/s.
The following TLOs may be used in conjunction with other learning standards statements and
can be used to appraise degrees with titles other than those indicated above.
It is the responsibility of the individual Higher Education Provider to relate any pathway
within a degree to the appropriate learning standards statement/s. Where JoMeC programs
are studied as part of a joint program, double degree or double major, this statement should
be applied in conjunction with the other relevant standards statement/s.
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JoMeC
A network of cognate or hybrid disciplines
Journalism, public relations, and communication and/or media studies are a set of cognate
and/or hybrid disciplines or fields of study. When combined, they make sense of
communication (in the broadest sense) in a changing world. By nature, these fields of inquiry
are inter-disciplinary and dynamic, bringing their own specialised knowledge and methods of
inquiry to the investigation of discrete and sometimes distinctive aspects of communication,
such as media studies, journalism, public relations and associated professions and practices.
Each of these fields of study was born of other established disciplines (Herbst, 2008, p. 605),
leading to variations in the degree of inter-disciplinarity within each field, ranging from
multidisciplinary approaches (where a common problem is studied by parallel disciplines) to
transdisciplinarity (where a shared frame of reference is used to investigate a common
problem). Consequently, universities and disciplinary units have a wide range of discretion in
how they use the following TLOs.
As indicated previously, degrees and majors within bachelor-level degrees in Journalism,
Public Relations, and Communication and/or Media Studies are taught in universities
throughout Australia, with myriad degree titles, disciplinary foci and projected career
outcomes. This diversity in disciplinary heritage, orientation and approach – both within the
discrete fields and across the JoMeC disciplines – has led to confusion among students and
industry stakeholders, who sometimes do not understand the subtle differences in inquiry
and of approach.
Therefore, it is incumbent on the scholarly community to explain to potential students and
other stakeholders what are the minimum or threshold learning outcomes (TLOs) are
expected to be achieved when completing a JoMeC program of study. The TLOs set out below
provide transparency to students, potential employers and other stakeholders. They also
foster greater accountability of Higher Education Providers in an era of institutional and
disciplinary evolution. This project does not privilege one discipline over another. Instead it
sees each field as making an important contribution by providing specialised knowledge,
concepts and methods for making sense of, and empowering, students to participate in
contemporary life.
Threshold Learning Outcomes
In the 21st century, media dominate our social life. Advances in communication technologies
offer new, multimodal forms of expression and exchange, resulting in media, in all of its forms,
being an integral part of our daily lives. “Most of the time we are not even aware we are using
media,” Deuze (2007, p. ix) acknowledges, as mobile and digital technologies allow us to
communicate anywhere and at any time. Interactive virtual spaces, in particular, have
fostered renewed optimism for constructing novel communities and spaces of shared interest
(Golding & Splichal, 2013, p. 7). People are now able to shape their tools of communication.
Consequently, media use is a key factor in shaping consciousness and identity in the 21st
century (Fornäs & Xinaris, 2013, p. 12).
At the same time, lay people’s ability to shape their media poses challenges to some
traditional forms of public communication, particularly in the areas of journalism and public
relations. “Media do not just influence us in terms of how we spend most of our time, how we
organize and give meaning to our social networks, or what we think about world events;
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media have also become a crucial part of today’s global economy” (Deuze, 2007, p. ix). Digital
media innovation and entrepreneurship are providing new avenues for employment and
wealth creation (Pavlik, 2013; Solomon, 2013). As a result, new forms of employment,
engagement, collaboration and connection are emerging. However, the transition from
traditional media work to start up can result in tensions (Warzel, 2013).
While media and communication technologies can open opportunities for sharing and
collaboration, they can also create new forms of marginalisation and exclusion. Consequently,
media and communication competence, or literacy, is necessary for full participation in
society and ongoing job security (Fornäs & Xinaris, 2013, p. 13).
According to Deuze (2007, p. ix): “Understanding media must include a critical awareness of
the particular characteristics of making media. This is not just to inform and assist those vying
for a successful career.” Deuze (2007, p. ix) also says it is essential to ensure people have the
capacity to participate in an increasingly mediated and technologically networked society.
Digitisation, globalisation and commercialisation have changed and are continuing to
transform our social world (Golding & Splichal, 2013, p. 5; Fornäs & Xinaris, 2013).
Technology, increasing individualisation of people and institutions, and casualisation of
employment have combined to transform the nature of what Deuze (2007) terms “media
work”. Employment is now contingent on a range of factors, including the fluctuations of the
global economy, the unpredictability of demand and supply, rapid technological change and
management fads (Deuze, 2007, p. 2). These processes, combined with increasing reliance on
new media, are impacting on how people perceive themselves and the nature and type of
work that future graduates will perform.
Higher Education Providers are preparing graduates for unknown futures. Consequently,
graduates need to be prepared to adapt to change and be active, informed participants in an
increasingly media-oriented, globalised world. JoMeC programs, therefore, must aspire to
generate a cohort of innovative and creative users, producers and consumers of media who
can discover, interpret, assimilate, synthesise, share and communicate meaningful messages
to a range of audiences via a variety of means, modes and methods across a range of contexts.
Such students need to be media literate and numerically competent, with awareness of
and abilities to understand the implications of media use and production on identity and
identity formation. Moreover, JoMeC graduates require critical abilities to apply knowledge to
novel situations, learn from these experiences and reflect on the implications for identity
issues, at individual and community levels. Finally, JoMeC graduates will require self-efficacy
and lifelong learning skills to convert knowledge and skills into action in all spheres of their
working and social life. This requires being able to make and evaluate personal choices and to
appraise the choices of others.
The following threshold standards, taken as a whole, represent what a graduate with a JoMeC
major in a bachelor degree program is expected to know, understand and be able to do as a
result of successful completion of their studies. As far as possible, each TLO is defined
independently, but it is expected that – even at the threshold level of achievement – graduates
will demonstrate a broad and coherent assimilation of the TLOs across the identified
knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills categories.
Effective, intentional communication – nuanced to the peculiarities of JoMeC fields of
specialisation – is the overarching objective of these TLOs. Consequently, each individual TLO
listed below combines to produce graduates who have achieved the requisite level of
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competence within their particular JoMeC field. The TLOs are expressed as minimum
benchmark standards of performance, achievement or attainment, designed to assist
universities attain quality outcomes.
Journalism, Media & Communication Learning Outcomes Statement
Upon completion of a Journalism, Media and Communication (JoMeC) major in a bachelor degree,
graduates will be able to demonstrate six key learning outcomes, which will prepare them to be an
active, informed agent in the changing communication environment with knowledge, skills and the
capacity to apply the skills and knowledge that their specialty requires.
THRESHOLD LEARNING OUTCOME
AQF
1: Knowledge
Graduates possess an in-depth knowledge of the field as it relates to their specialist
study across local and global contexts, revealing knowledge of the practices,
languages, forms, materials, technologies and techniques relevant to their field of
study.
Theoretical
Practical
Technical
2: Thinking Skills
Graduates can develop, research and evaluate concepts, ideas, information, images
and processes, relevant to their field of study, through creative, critical and reflective
thinking and practice.
Cognitive
Technical
Communication
3: Communication and technology skills
Graduates can interpret, communicate and exchange ideas, problems and arguments
across complex personal, professional and disciplinary settings. Selecting, utilising and,
where necessary, adapting styles and technology to suit audiences and context are
essential outcomes for a graduate.
Communication
Cognitive
Technical
4: Self-management, relationship-building and self-development skills
Graduates can work independently, professionally and collaboratively to demonstrate
self-management. They can exhibit the skills and judgment needed to develop and
sustain effective networks, relationships and connections relevant to their specialist
area of study and employment.
Autonomy
Judgment
Responsibility
5: Integrity, ethics and responsibility
Graduates will recognise and reflect upon the social, cultural, ethical and legal values,
principles and protocols that underpin their field of study and be responsible and
accountable.
Autonomy
Judgment
Responsibility
6: Resourceful and reflective learning and practice (application of knowledge and skills)
Graduates can critically and creatively apply knowledge, skills and practices relevant to
their field of study to reveal the autonomy and judgment needed to engage in
resourceful and reflective learning and practice.
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Autonomy
Judgment
Responsibility
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NOTES ON THRESHOLD LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR JOURNALISM
Journalism
The nature of this discipline
Journalism in the academy is an emerging discipline, which has connections with many other
fields of study such as history, sociology, economics, psychology, media and communication
studies. In its simplest form, journalism is about story telling to inform, engage, educate,
entertain and mobilise individuals and communities. For journalism to remain relevant in the
information age, stories need context.
Currently, 30 Australian universities offer bachelor or postgraduate coursework degrees in
journalism, which usually sit within disciplinary clusters of humanities and social sciences.
However, journalism within the academy is understood through a range of lenses, making it
difficult to articulate its disciplinary heritage.
As observed by Zelizer (2004), scholars have treated journalism as an institution, a
profession, a set of practices, people and texts. Each of these approaches tends to privilege
particular aspects of journalism, bringing different theoretical orientations and
methodologies. Each perspective, or lens, sheds a different light on journalism and each
approach helps us to better understand journalism in our rapidly changing world.
Such multi-dimensional inquiry is essential because globalisation, technological change and
digitisation, massification of politics as well as the massification of public and private
communication are changing the way we communicate. One consequence of these phenomena is
the blurring of boundaries between journalism and other forms of public communication (Deuze,
2007, pp. 141-170). Traditional journalism and media jobs are changing and, as a result, the
attributes of a graduate from a journalism major are now broadly required in day-to-day life.
At an institutional level, journalism is seen as paying a service to society by uncovering,
analysing and reporting news and information about issues of public importance and public
interest. Journalism is adapting to meet the demands of audiences – who are increasingly
global and local at the same time. They are now required to both compete – and co-operate –
with amateur content producers. Consequently, legacy journalism and the media industries
more broadly are undergoing radical transformation.
Challenges facing the practice and scholarship around journalism have been exacerbated by
recent scandals – such as the UK phone-hacking affair, which led to the closure of News of the
World. Lack of trust in contemporary journalism adds to a long list of factors affecting how
journalism products are created and delivered as well as the position and professional
standing of journalists. Such factors include:
 The explosion of content generated by users or communities;
 The focus of traditional news organisations on audiences’ media usage patterns
and their capacity to track those uses;
 The proliferation of personalised news, delivered online and on mobile devices;
 The development of new forms of storytelling;
 The growth of audience-focused news and multimedia news judgment (Deuze,
2007, p. 157).
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In response, journalism and mass media industries are undergoing structural and operational
modifications to adapt to changing conditions and redress some of the negative legacies of
media concentration, technological convergence and corporate concentration. While some
scholars and journalists lament perceived losses of professional identity and standing, others
embrace and celebrate the possibilities generated by change. The challenge for journalism
educators in these circumstances is to prepare future journalists for an industry and
profession undergoing “radical transformation” (Pavlik, 2013, p. 212).
The preparation of journalists for work
In the 21st century, journalists need to be multi-skilled, flexible, highly mobile and creative.
Where necessary, they need to “invent” their own jobs (Pavlik, 2013, p. 213). Therefore,
journalism education needs to spawn innovation and entrepreneurship, to invest students
with lifelong learning skills, creativity and the critical abilities to adapt to changing and
complex work, life and media settings.
In Australia, the majority of journalism programs sponsor action learning as the means best
suited to transferring journalism’s highly experiential knowledge. However, some programs
focus on understanding the media through the lens of journalism studies, media studies and
mass communication. The TLOs set out below have greater applicability to practice-led
majors and degree programs.
Notwithstanding the challenges identified above, journalism degrees are in high demand, and
not just among students who seek careers as reporters, subeditors or editors in broadcast,
print, online, agency, converged or new media. Journalism degrees also provide skills,
knowledge and professional aptitudes that will be useful in a wide range of occupations that
involve high levels of media literacy or skills in investigation and public communication.
Typically, graduates of a journalism major in a bachelor degree will be media literate and
numerically competent. They will be equipped with a body of knowledge and skills that
enables them to work resourcefully and productively in a range of journalistic and public
communication environments while having the potential for further learning and
development. These outcomes are reflected in the six learning outcomes that educators
should seek to achieve in designing JoMeC majors, namely:
 Knowledge;
 Thinking skills;
 Communication and technology skills;
 Self-management, relationship and self-development skills;
 Integrity, ethics and responsibility;
 Resourceful and reflective learning and practice.
Under each of these categories, the working group has developed more detailed statements
(set out below) applicable to Journalism majors in Bachelor level degrees. These statements
should be read in conjunction with “JoMeC: A network of cognate and hybrid disciplines” and
“The nature of the discipline” (above).
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Expanded commentary on TLOs (Journalism)
The following notes are intended to help stakeholders to understand the meanings of the
TLOs and their potential application when the outcomes are taught, assessed or evidenced in
bachelor-level degrees. TLOs describe the minimum level of achievement expected of a
graduate. Each university may potentially offer additional outcomes or provide greater depth
of learning than the minimum levels described below. The expanded commentary is not
prescriptive, exhaustive nor directive. The TLOs and commentary may change with time,
particularly when different stakeholders provide feedback about their application of the
learning outcomes to quality assurance or other processes.
TLO 1 Knowledge
Graduates possess an in-depth knowledge of the field as it relates to their specialist study across
local and global contexts, revealing knowledge of the practices, languages, forms, materials,
technologies and techniques relevant to their field of study.
Graduates of a journalism major in a bachelor degree require formal and informal knowledge
that can be distilled from experience. They should know how ideas, information and images
are formally and informally produced, organised and disseminated as well. They should
possess broad, coherent knowledge and understanding of theoretical and applied concepts,
principles and processes. Core areas of experiential, applied and theoretical knowledge for the
Journalism discipline include:
a) History and/or theories relating to the social, political, cultural and economic contexts
of journalism practice, products and audiences.
b) Working routines, organisational environments and production processes of
journalists.
c) Legal, ethical, civic and social responsibilities of journalists.
d) International, intercultural and Indigenous perspectives on journalistic practice and
community engagement.
TLO 2 Thinking skills
Graduates can develop, research and evaluate concepts, ideas, information, images and
processes, relevant to their field of study, through creative, critical and reflective thinking and
practice.
Graduates of a major in Journalism in a bachelor degree will display a range of critical
thinking and reasoning and reflective skills. Important qualities that graduates should
demonstrate at the conclusion of their program of study include being able to:
a) Identify, research, investigate, examine, reason and appraise topics, themes and issues
that arise in complex journalistic and media contexts.
b) Identify topics, themes and issues of news or human-interest to conceive and tell
stories across multiple platforms.
c) Use independent thought and reasoning to select, collect, evaluate and integrate
information from a variety of sources.
d) Apply informed judgment to investigate, research, appraise and/or resolve issues and
problems to provide understand and provide story context.
e) Access, examine and evaluate journalism outputs, institutions and production
processes.
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TLO 3: Communication and technological skills
Graduates can interpret, communicate and exchange ideas, problems and arguments across
complex personal, professional and disciplinary settings. Selecting, utilising and, where
necessary, adapting styles and technology to suit audiences and context are essential outcomes
for a graduate.
Graduates at this level must communicate across personal, professional and disciplinary
settings to share ideas, information and images interpersonally and through a range of media,
software and technological platforms. Core forms of communication for the Journalism
discipline include:
a) Creating and editing messages and content (in any format) with accuracy, clarity,
fluency and flair in a style that is appropriate to the audience and
communication/media format.
b) Initiating, investigating and creating cogent, credible journalism works that are
completed within deadline.
c) Responding to information, ideas and feedback.
d) Selecting and using communication technologies to listen to, identify, gather and
circulate ideas and information.
TLO 4: Self-management, relationship-building and self-development skills
Graduates can work independently, professionally and collaboratively to demonstrate selfmanagement. They can exhibit the skills and judgment needed to develop and sustain effective
networks, relationships and connections relevant to their specialist area of study and
employment.
Graduates at this level will have skills to manage themselves and others and be capable of
identifying, developing and sustaining effective professional networks, relationships and
connections. On completing their major, graduates should possess self-management,
relationship-building and self-development skills, such as the ability to:
a) Develop and maintain trusting, value-adding relationships with contacts and
professional networks.
b) Work effectively – both independently and in collaborative teams – with peers,
supervisors and subordinates.
c) Seek and respond to information, ideas and feedback.
d) Manage self-development and future learning.
e) Identify and manage risk in their workplace and work activities.
TLO 5 Integrity, ethics and responsibility
Graduates will recognise and reflect upon the social, cultural, ethical and legal values, principles
and protocols that underpin their field of study and be responsible and accountable.
Graduates at this level will be able to demonstrate judgments that reveal responsibility and
accountability in their relationships, communication, actions and practice. Core forms of
integrity and accountability associated with the Journalism discipline include:
a) Recognising and reflecting on social, cultural, legal, ethical and professional standards.
b) Practising work in an ethical, collaborative, professional and accountable manner.
c) Demonstrating respect for social and cultural diversity.
d) Acting within the laws, policies and regulations governing the news media and
journalistic practice, unless contrary to a justifiable public interest.
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TLO 6 Resourceful & reflective practice and learning (Application of knowledge and skills)
Graduates can critically and creatively apply knowledge, skills and practices relevant to their
field of study to reveal the autonomy and judgment needed to engage in resourceful and
reflective learning and practice.
Graduates at this level will engage in critical thinking and reflective, resourceful practice.
Reflective and resourceful practice involves systematic synthesis and creative application of
knowledge and skills in a rapidly changing media environment including:
a) Translating complex ideas and information into appropriate content across different
modes and media.
b) Planning, researching and telling accurate, informative and engaging stories in a
variety of modes and media.
c) Recognising the challenges and changes in newsroom/media environments and
responding in a capable, informed and systematic way.
d) Mastering technologies, equipment, resources and processes to enable and enhance
storytelling.
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NOTES ON THRESHOLD LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS
The nature of this discipline
Public relations is, in the main, described as a strategic, planned communication process that
helps organisations and/or individuals to build their reputations and mutually beneficial
relationships with their publics. It involves the management of “communication … in order to
promote favourable relationships and portray a desired image” (Breit, 2011, p. 15). However,
for Curtin and Gaither (2005, p. 110), public relations is a complex set of signifiers “that
produces meaning within a cultural economy, privileging identity, difference and power
because of the central role these constructs play in discursive practice”.
The incomplete focus of public relations within the academy and professions has been
criticised by scholars (Demetrious, 2013; L’Etang & Pieczka, 2006; Hallahan et al, 2007;
Moloney, 2006); with calls for a broader conceptual framework through which to understand
how such intentional communication practices create, share and exchange meaning and
influence, especially in managing conflict and social change. Specifically, public relations
scholarship has been criticised for focusing too narrowly on organisational self-interest,
establishing and sustaining relationships and managing reputations (Hallahan et al, 2007,
p. 10). This has resulted in a disconnection between what happens in practice and what is
taught in the classroom.
Critical public relations is an emerging and contemporary reformist movement within the
field which seeks to find alternative ways to understand the activity of public relations, from
research, teaching and practice points of view (Demetrious, 2013). In particular, it encourages
multiple perspectives and an appreciation of the political and cultural complexities of the
field, especially in its relation of power between publics. This approach takes into
consideration the growth of the third sector (not-for-profits and non-government
organisations) and developments such as the rise of persona politics and celebrity culture, as
well as the impact of gender, surveillance, social media and political propaganda on practice
and research. Critical public relations differs from the mainstream form because it seeks to
understand the mindsets in thinking that have dominated conventional public relations –
which, by and large, have been concerned with the use of communication by larger
corporations and governments.
In this way, contemporary public relations as a field of study straddles contested spaces
occupied on the one hand by “narrowly defined” fields of professional or organisational
communication clustered around “specific managerial problems, such as improving
organizational performance, selling more products, motivating donors, or building
relationships” (Hallahan et al, 2007, p. 5) and critical public relations on the other.
The emerging field of strategic communication also claims to provide a broader framework
through which to understand public relations and other forms of organisational
communication that address this disconnection by examining “the strategic application of
communication and how an organisation functions as a social actor to advance its mission”
(Hallohan et al, 2007, p. 5).
An expanded set of TLOs (below) have been designed to apply to majors within a bachelorlevel degree that examine public relations as a form of strategic communication. These TLOs
are designed for practice-led courses that prepare students for working in the areas of public
relations, public information, corporate communication and/or media and communication
divisions of government, business, higher education, research and not-for-profit sectors.
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Public relations work
Data suggests public relations work in Australia is expanding. Its practitioners are now
required to provide comprehensive strategic guidance including, monitoring and evaluating
information and communication campaigns (IBISWorld, 2010, 7, 8). US and UK studies
highlight the growing importance of public relations personnel in “determining an organisation’s
strategic direction; setting out strategies and policies; determining benchmarks and targets and
monitoring their achievement; (as well as) identifying, tracking and determining responses to
issues that might threaten the organization and the achievement of its goals” (DeSanto, Moss &
Newman, 2007, p. 450; also DeSanto & Moss, 2004).
More than 20 Australian universities offer bachelor and postgraduate coursework degrees in Public
Relations. Graduates of bachelor degrees in this discipline are typically employed in careers relating to
media relations, community relations, government relations, corporate communication, investor
relations, crisis and risk communication, issues management, as well as product or service publicity
and promotion. They also often apply their skills and knowledge to careers in related fields, such as
event management, promotion, advertising, marketing and policy development. Graduates from
majors or badged degrees will be capable of working to industry standards in entry-level positions in
a range of public relations positions, and be able to demonstrate the potential for further learning.
Expanded commentary on TLOs (Public Relations)
The following notes are intended to help stakeholders to understand the meanings of the
TLOs and their potential application when the outcomes are taught, assessed or evidenced in
bachelor-level degrees. TLOs describe the minimum level of achievement expected of a
graduate. Each university may potentially offer additional outcomes or provide greater depth
of learning than the minimum levels described below. The expanded commentary is not
prescriptive, exhaustive nor directive. The TLOs and commentary may change with time,
particularly when different stakeholders provide feedback about their application of the
learning outcomes to quality assurance or other processes.
TLO 1: Knowledge
Graduates possess an in-depth knowledge of the field as it relates to their specialist study across
local and global contexts, revealing knowledge of the practices, languages, forms, materials,
technologies and techniques relevant to their field of study.
Graduates of a bachelor degree with a major in Public Relations will be able to demonstrate a broad,
coherent knowledge and understanding of competing theoretical and applied concepts, principles
and processes of their discipline. Core knowledge for the Public Relations discipline includes:
a) Theoretical underpinnings of public relations, media relations, organisational
communication, communication management and related fields.
b) Technical knowledge of key professional practices, including planning, research, decisionmaking and evaluation.
c) Legal, ethical, civic and social responsibilities of public relations practitioners and their
organisations.
d) Understanding of the different social and political contexts and power relations in
which public relations operates.
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e) International, intercultural and Indigenous perspectives that may shape client or public
cultures.
TLO 2: Thinking skills
Graduates can develop, research and evaluate concepts, ideas, information, images and
processes, relevant to their field of study, through creative, critical and reflective thinking and
practice.
Graduates of a bachelor degree will have cognitive skills to identify, research, investigate, examine,
reason and appraise topics, themes and issues that arise in standard public relations contexts. Core
forms of inquiry and analysis for the Public Relations discipline are:
a) Developing clear and measurable communication objectives that align with social and
community expectations and client/organisational goals, and conducting research to evaluate
the achievement of these objectives.
b) Using a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, independent thinking,
reasoning and creative approaches to select, collect, evaluate and synthesise information
from a range of sources.
c) Using information in communication planning, execution and problem solving.
d) Understanding and appraising publics, institutions, their relationships and their competing
interests.
e) Using research, feedback from others as well as critical reflection to develop and improve
communicative approaches, skills and outcomes.
TLO 3: Communication skills
Graduates can interpret, communicate and exchange ideas, problems and arguments across
complex personal, professional and disciplinary settings. Selecting, utilising and, where
necessary, adapting styles and technology to suit audiences and context are essential outcomes
for a graduate.
Graduates at this level must communicate appropriately and effectively in personal, professional
and disciplinary settings in order to construct and distribute ideas, information and images across a
variety of platforms, including:
a) Creating oral and written communication with accuracy, clarity, fluency and flair within
deadlines.
b) Presenting informative and persuasive reports and messages in a professional style,
appropriate to the audience and format.
c) Seeking and responding to information, ideas and feedback.
d) Using communication technologies to listen to identify, gather and circulate ideas and
information.
TLO 4: Self-management, relationship-building and self-development skills
Graduates can work independently, professionally and collaboratively to demonstrate selfmanagement. They can exhibit the skills and judgment needed to develop and sustain effective
networks, relationships and connections relevant to their specialist area of study and
employment.
Graduates at this level must have self-management skill as well as skills for identifying, developing
and sustaining effective networks, relationships and connections. Skills in building relationships
with peers and publics are germane to the work of public relations practitioners. Graduates at this
level will have well-developed skills in identifying, developing and sustaining effective networks,
relationships and connections. Core forms of self-management, relationship-building and selfdevelopment skills for the Public Relations discipline are:
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a) Understanding the reception and impacts of public relations in different social and historical
settings.
b) Developing and maintaining trusting, value-adding relationships with contacts and
professional networks.
c) Building relationships with internal and external publics.
d) Working effectively – both independently and in collaborative teams – with supervisors,
colleagues and other peers.
e) Engaging in effective interpersonal and group communications via a variety of platforms.
f) Managing self-development and future learning.
TLO 5: Integrity, ethics and responsibility
Graduates will recognise and reflect upon the social, cultural, ethical and legal values, principles
and protocols that underpin their field of study and be responsible and accountable.
Graduates at this level will exercise judgments that demonstrate responsibility and accountability in
their relationships, communication and conduct by:
a) Upholding ethical and professional standards in a range of communication contexts and
organisational settings currency.
b) Developing an open understanding of the reception and impacts of public relations in
different geopolitical, social, cultural and historical settings.
c) Developing culturally nuanced and appropriate relations with stakeholders and publics.
d) Acting within the laws, policies and regulations that govern the fields of activity in which
public relations practitioners and their clients engage.
TLO 6: Resourceful and reflective practice and learning (Application of knowledge and skills)
Graduates can critically and creatively apply knowledge, skills and practices relevant to their
field of study to reveal the autonomy and judgment needed to engage in resourceful and
reflective learning and practice.
Graduates at this level will be able to operate autonomously, to apply theories, methods and skills,
and to demonstrate resourceful practice and judgment in standard public relations contexts.
Resourceful practice involves the systematic synthesis and creative application of knowledge and
skills, including:
a) Using relevant communication theory to devise, manage, monitor and evaluate strategies
that offer innovative solutions, achieve identified objectives and engage stakeholders
effectively.
b) Recognising challenges and changes in media and public environments and responding in
capable, informed, systematic and insightful ways.
c) Creating oral and written communication with accuracy, clarity, fluency and flair within
deadline.
d) Presenting informative and persuasive reports and messages in a professional style,
appropriate to the audience and format.
e) Seeking and responding to information, ideas and feedback.
f) Using communication technologies to listen to, identify, gather and circulate ideas and
information.
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NOTE FROM THE JOMEC NETWORK WORKING GROUP
The following statement and TLOs for Communication and/or Media Studies were revised
following a workshop held at the 2013 ANZCA conference. Little feedback has been received
from the disciplinary communities since 2013. The limited feedback received indicated,
however, that the following statement did not adequately capture the nature and diversity of
the discipline/s. Therefore, the JoMeC Network working group has decided not to progress
the following statement.
It is seeking the support of ANZCA and the disciplinary communities of media and
communication to expand and revise the statement relating to the disciplines and to adapt the
TLOs to better reflect the current minimum standards of academic achievement expected by
Communication and/or Media Studies graduates. The working group is not committed to the
current format of the TLOs. Therefore, discipline representatives might opt for separate
statements relating to Communication and/or Media Studies.
Draft statement and TLOs for Communication and/or Media Studies
There is rich diversity among bachelor-level degrees in Communication and/or Media Studies
offered in Australia. These degrees have varying titles, reflecting differences in orientations
and approaches within the fields of study. Such programs are interdisciplinary in nature and
frequently share traditions with fields such as cultural studies and literary studies. Media
Studies, in general, will explore how mass, niche and new media work, including their
evolution, their effects, how people and communities use them, and the nature of industry
practice. Communication Studies characteristically focus on the creation, interpretation and
use of communication across a range of social settings, potentially including mass or new
media communication, organisational communication and/or interpersonal communication.
Graduates of bachelor degrees with majors in Communication and/or Media Studies will have
the knowledge and skills – and the capacity to apply knowledge and skills – to undertake
further study or to start careers in fields relating to media and communication. Graduates
seek employment in a wide variety of careers that emphasise critical thinking and
communication skills. In addition to opportunities in the arts, media and entertainment
sectors, graduates may work in fields such as research, education, public relations, marketing,
advertising, sales, policy-making and public administration.
Expanded commentary on Draft TLOs (Communication and/or Media
Studies)
The following commentary is intended to help stakeholders to understand the meanings of
the draft TLOs and their potential application when the outcomes are taught, assessed or
evidenced in bachelor-level degrees. It should be noted that TLOs describe a minimum level of
achievement expected of a graduate. Each university may potentially offer additional
outcomes or provide greater depth of learning than the minimum levels described below.
TLOs and commentary may change with time, particularly when different stakeholders
provide feedback about their application of the learning outcomes to quality assurance or
other processes. Thus the expanded commentary on the draft TLOs is not prescriptive,
exhaustive nor directive.
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TLO 1: Knowledge
Graduates possess an in-depth knowledge of the field as it relates to their specialist study across
local and global contexts, revealing knowledge of the practices, languages, forms, materials,
technologies and techniques relevant to their field of study.
Bachelor-degree level graduates with a major in Communication and/or Media Studies will be
able to demonstrate a broad, coherent knowledge and understanding of theoretical and
applied concepts, principles and processes of their discipline, including:
a) History and theories relating to the social, cultural, political and economic dimensions
of media or communication practices, products, institutions, environments and
audiences.
b) Ethical and legal principles and their application to professional media or
communication contexts.
c) Interdisciplinary, international, intercultural and Indigenous perspectives on media or
communication.
TLO 2: Thinking skills
Graduates can develop, research and evaluate concepts, ideas, information, images and
processes, relevant to their field of study, through creative, critical and reflective thinking and
practice.
Graduates at this level will have a range of critical thinking and reasoning skills needed to
exercise judgments in personal and professional settings, including:
a) Identifying, researching, investigating, examining, reasoning and appraising topics,
themes and issues that arise in standard media or communication contexts.
b) Recognising how a range of research methodologies can be utilised.
c) Gathering, analysing, evaluating and distilling information in a systematic, creative and
insightful way to probe professional practices, contexts, modes and/or media in the
digital era.
d) Selecting, collecting, evaluating and synthesising information from a variety of sources.
e) Applying critical thinking to probe or resolve issues and problems.
f) Examining and appraising texts, outputs/products, production processes, institutions
or relationships.
TLO 3: Communication skills
Graduates can interpret, communicate and exchange ideas, problems and arguments across
complex personal, professional and disciplinary settings. Selecting, utilising and, where
necessary, adapting styles and technology to suit audiences and context are essential outcomes
for a graduate.
Graduates at this level must communicate appropriately and effectively across personal,
professional and disciplinary settings to share ideas, information and images. Core
communication skills for the Communication and/or Media Studies disciplines are:
a) Communicating at a high level in written, oral and visual forms.
b) Communicating concepts, research findings and other information in interpersonal,
group and mediated contexts.
c) Seeking, and responding to, information, ideas and feedback.
d) Using technologies to listen to, gather, interpret and circulate ideas and information.
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TLO 4: Self-management, relationship-building and self-development skills
Graduates can work independently, professionally and collaboratively to demonstrate selfmanagement. They can exhibit the skills and judgment needed to develop and sustain effective
networks, relationships and connections relevant to their specialist area of study and
employment.
Graduates at this level will show skills in managing themselves, their future learning as well
as developing and sustaining effective networks, relationships and connections. Core selfmanagement, relationship-building and self-development skills are:
a) Developing and maintaining value-adding relationships with contacts and professional
networks.
b) Working independently – as well as in collaborative teams – with supervisors,
colleagues and other peers.
c) Seeking and responding to information, ideas and feedback.
d) Managing self-development and future learning.
TLO 5: Integrity, ethics and responsibility
Graduates will recognise and reflect upon the social, cultural, ethical and legal values, principles
and protocols that underpin their field of study and be responsible and accountable.
Graduates at this level will exercise judgments that reveal responsibility and accountability in
their relationships, communication and conduct by:
a) Making decisions that uphold ethical and professional standards in research and
professional practice.
b) Respecting social and cultural diversity.
c) Acting within the laws, policies and regulations that govern activities in the spheres of
communication and/or media.
d) Recognising and responding appropriately to conflict.
TLO 6: Resourceful and reflective practice and learning (Application of knowledge and skills)
Graduates can critically and creatively apply knowledge, skills and practices relevant to their
field of study to reveal the autonomy and judgment needed to engage in resourceful and
reflective learning and practice.
Graduates at this level will exercise judgments demonstrating critical thinking and reasoning
by applying theories, methods and skills in ways appropriate to standard media or
communications contexts, including:
a) Gathering and communicating ideas, images and information across a variety of
platforms.
b) Communicating at a high level in written, oral and visual forms.
c) Using technologies to listen to, gather and circulate ideas and information.
d) Initiating, investigating and creating cogent, credible reports and analyses of media,
communications or culture.
e) Applying theory and methodologies in an informed, systematic, resourceful, insightful
way to resolve professional, social or scholarly issues relating to media,
communication or culture.
f) Using research methods and reasoning skills, where appropriate, to work creatively in
fields related to communication and/or media.
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