Sharron Lovell

This module is designed to develop both your craft and your critical understanding of the field of visual media. You will learn how current and emerging trends and technologies are shaping visual journalism and storytelling. You will also explore, experiment and innovate with new tools and techniques across a range of platforms including social and mobile. You will be encouraged to situate your own practice within the field and discover which types of stories you want to tell and how you want to tell them. The module will explore key influential trends in the contemporary visual media landscape such as visual solutions journalism, revenue models, and the impact of 5G on visual storytelling. You will also explore a range of tools, techniques and technologies through hands-on experimentation with contemporary visual storytelling practices such as 360 video storytelling, mobile reporting, and data visualisation. The GAME+ attributes developed on this module are: Critical Creativity and Innovation, Skills Mastery, Influence and Impact.

Visual journalism increasingly drives rather than illustrates stories but whichever field or mediums you aspire to work in, you will be required to produce factual, clear and concise text. The module begins with fundamental news literacy concepts to help you understand and navigate today’s complex media landscape before moving on to reporting the news. You’ll learn how to generate story ideas, gather original first-hand information and combine it with research and contextual information to deliver informed and compelling stories to your target audience. You will be taught how to verify information and ensure that a story is accurate, balanced and fair. Meanwhile, you will develop an awareness of the conventional tenets of journalism and consider the gap between journalistic ideals and real world norms and constraints. This module will serve as a key building block for future modules and provide solid research and reporting skills for every medium, as well as a grounding in postgraduate academic skills. The GAME+ attributes developed on this module are: Critical Creativity and Innovation, Professional Identity, Critical Self-Management.

This module is designed to strengthen your core visual reporting and storytelling skills, and allow you to experiment further with emerging tools, technologies and platforms. The focus broadens from journalism to other types of visual storytelling, such as short-form documentary and non-profit storytelling. You will develop your knowledge of advanced and contemporary practice while your own skills will be nurtured via practical engagement. This is an intense and immersive learning experience and you will be encouraged to develop your personal visual style and methods, and to work on topics that you are passionate about. You will be encouraged to experiment with current and innovative digital-first visual storytelling approaches in conjunction with the enduring principles of visual reporting, storytelling, standards and ethics. The GAME+ attributes developed on this module are: Influence and Impact, Critical Self-Management, Critical Creativity and Innovation, Professional Identity.

This module introduces core practical news media production skills including photography, writing, video, audio, and data visualization, as well as corresponding editing techniques. The module also establishes fundamental news gathering skills such as research, interviewing, reporting, social media, and ethics. You will develop skills and knowledge via workshops and seminars. In developing short news feature assignments you will use different tools and mediums to publish online, exploring new ways of producing and presenting digital content. Critique sessions act as a platform for classroom discussion around practice, platforms, audiences, and ethical issues in the changing media landscape.