Guide for Students
Introduction to Journalism 2 (ACOM322)
Welcome to Advanced Journalism.
ACOM322 (Journalism 2) is a module for 3rd year Communication Science. This
module is the continuation of ACOM 112 (Journalism1). This module is designed
to help you develop those skills that will help you become a competent journalist,
and is also designed to introduce you to the advanced news writing and reporting
This unique 16‐week class uses an innovative, collaborative approach to advanced
journalism in an interactive, fast‐paced online format. Each week, you will:
COURSE OUTLINE
ACOM112-JOURNALISM1
Week1
Week2
Week3
Week4
Week5
Week 6
Week7
Week 8
Week9
Week10
Purpose of the module
Organizing a news story
Genres of feature article
How to conduct an interview
Obituaries news
What is investigate reporting
Interpretative journalism
Writing of an editorial
Photojournalism
News writing and reporting for
the broadcast media
Features/ structure of a
broadcast news story
Advance reporting
Freedom of press
Journalism law
Ethical issues in media practice
Week11
Week12
Week 13
Week14
Week15
Week16
WEEK
14July-18July
21July-25July
and South African code of
conducts
Journalese-revision
CONTENT
 Welcome
 Purpose of the module
 Module aims
 Module objectives
 Working through this
module
 Module materials
Unit1-organising a news story
 Overview
 Objective
 Introduction
 Inverted pyramid style
 Advantages of inverted
pyramid style
 organizing an inverted
pyramid: guidelines to
follow
 case studies
 Self-assessment exercise
 Hourglass style
 Advantages of Hourglass
style
 Organizing an hourglass
 When to use the hourglass
 Circle style
 Advantages of circle style
 Case studies
 Self-assessment exercise
 Roy Peter Clark: Fourteen
Traits of good writers
 Robert Gunning: Ten
Principles of clear writing
Summary
Tutor-marked assignment
References/further reading
28july-01August
4August-8Agugust
Genres of feature articles
 Different between
news story and
feature story
 What is feature article
 Self-assessment
exercise
 Types of feature
article-personality
profile, human
interest, trend
stories, in-depth
stories, background
 Case studies
 Self-assessment
exercise
 The sources of
feature article
 The feature article
outlines
 Guidelines in
organizing a feature
story
 Self-assessment
exercise
Summary
Tutor-marked Assignment
Reference/further reading
How to conduct an
interview
 Three stages in every
interview
 Research
 Setting up the
interview
 Self-assessment
exercise1
 Conducting the
interview
 Asking question
 Planning question
 Using personal
question
 Using follow-up
questions
 Framing questions to
fit the story’s purpose
 Establishing rapport
 Handling hostile and
uncommunicative
sources
 Self-assessment
exercise2
 Making and using
observation
 Logistics-taking note,
using the telephone
and using E-mail
 Self-assessment
exercise3
 After the interview
 Checklist for
interviews
 Interview skill
 Self-assessment
exercise4
Summary
11August-15August
18August-22August
25August-29August
Tutor-assignment
References/further reading
Obituaries news
 Overview
 Objectives
 introduction
 Contents of obituaries
 Background
 Ensuring accuracy in obits
 Basic obituary template
Summary
Tutor-marked assignment
References/further reading
What is investigate writing
 Defining investigate
reporting
 Elements of investigate
reporting
 Self-assessment exercise1
 Importance of investigate
reporting
 Misconception of
investigative reporting
 Self-assessment exercise2
 Limitation of investigate
reporting
Summary
Tutor-marked Assignments
References/further reading
Interpretive journalism
 Definition of interpretative
journalism
 Importance of
interpretative journalism
 Self-assessment exercise1
 Determinants of
interpretative journalism
1September-5September
8September-12September
 Limitation of interpretative
journalism
 Self-assessment exercise
Summary
Tutor-marked assignment
References/further reading
Writing of an editorial
 Definition of editorial
 Types of editorial
 Self-assessment exercise1
 Characteristics of a good
editorial
 How to write an editorial
 Editorial beginning
 Self-assessment exercise2
 Pointers on writing an
editorial
 Guidelines for editorial
Summary
Tutor-marked assignments
References/further reading
Photojournalism
 Overview
 Objectives
 Introduction
 What is photojournalism
 Photojournalism genres
 Self-assessment exercise1
 The duties of
photojournalist
 Characteristics of
photojournalism
 Different fields of
photojournalism
 Self-assessment exercise
 The caption: getting words
 Digital photography
15Septembe-19September
22September-26September
 Basic photojournalism tips
 National press photograph
association code of ethics
 Code of ethics
 Do’s and don’ts of
photojournalism
Summary
Tutor-marked assignment
References/further reading
News writing and reporting for
the broadcast media
 Overview
 Objectives
 Introduction
 Criteria for selecting
broadcast stories
 The don’ts of a broadcast
copy
 Case studies
 Self-assessment exercise
Summary
Tutor-marked assignment
References/further reading
Features/structure of a
broadcast news story
 Overview
 Objectives
 Introduction
 Structure of a broadcast
news story
 Features of broadcast
news story
 Broadcast news vs print
news
 Summary
 Tutor-marked assignment
 References/further reading
29September-3October
Advanced reporting
 Overview
 Objectives
 introduction
 Science and technology
coverage-issues for
science and technology
coverage, writing rules for
science and technology
reporting and qualities of a
good science and
technology
 Reporting sport- roles of
sport reporters, qualities of
a good reporter, sources of
information for the sport
reporter and checklist
before a reporter writers
and submit his story for a
game
 Political reportingfunctions of a political
reporter, qualities of good
political reporter,
challenges associated with
political reporting
 Business and economy
reporting-the role of
business and economy
reports, qualities of a
business and economy
reporter, source of
information and tips on
how to cover the business
beat better
 Reporting crime and courtchecklist for homicide
(crime), checklist for
6October-10October
13October-17October
homicide(arrest)
 Reporting for court-how a
reporter can commit
contempt of court,
checklist for writing court
stories, checklist for civil
actions, checklist for
criminal trials, the trial
process and tips on court
reporting
 Summary
 Tutor marked assignment
 References/further reading
Press freedom
 Overview
 Objectives
 Introduction
 Definition of freedom of
press
 Controversial issues
involved in the concept of
press freedom
 Self-assessment exercise
 Threat to freedom of press
 Freedom of press in South
Africa
 A theory of press systemsauthoritarian theory,
libertarian theory, social
responsibility theory and
soviet communist system
Summary
Tutor-marked assignment
References/further reading
Journalism law
 Overview
 Objectives




20October-24October
Introduction
Defamation
Types of defamation
Steps to avoiding libel
suits
 Essentials of defamation
 Defences for defamation
 Remedies for defamation
 Ten things about
defamation
 Self-assessment exercise
 Sedition
 Copyright
 Contempt of courtdefinition of contempt of
court
 Some best practices
 A checklist for doing ethics
 Summary
 Tutor-marked assignment
 References/further reading
Ethical issues in media practice
 Overview
 Objectives
 Introduction
 What is ethics
 What is media ethics
 Ethical issues in media
practices
 The journalist’s values
 Self-assessment exercise1
 Journalist’s loyalties
 South African press code
of ethics
 Summary
 Tutor-marked assignment
 References/further reading
27October-31October
Journalese
 News room terminologies
Revision for the examination