Program Overview
The Senior Journalist Apprenticeship is a Level 7 program that equips journalists with the skills and knowledge needed for senior roles in the media. It blends theory and practical experience, covering digital publishing, brand awareness, editorial leadership, and media law. The program is delivered through a blended learning approach and prepares students for the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ).
Program Outline
Senior Journalist Apprenticeship: A Comprehensive Breakdown
Degree Overview:
Objective:
To equip journalists with the skills and knowledge needed to progress into a senior role in the media. This Level 7 apprenticeship program provides a comprehensive curriculum covering digital publishing, brand awareness, editorial leadership, and media law.
Description:
- Blends 20% theory and practical skills development with 80% work-based experience within the student's current company.
- Utilizes a blended learning approach with online lectures, quizzes, workshops, seminars, and brainstorming sessions.
- Prepares students for the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ) through individual tripartite meetings with academic and workplace mentors.
- Cultivates advanced digital publishing skills, covering analytics, search engine optimization, and social media strategies.
- Equips students with leadership skills, including mentoring, delegating tasks, and making editorial decisions.
- Offers thorough training in media law and ethics, including defamation, privacy, copyright, and contempt of court.
- Supported by full-time access to the University's Wi-Fi, PCs, Macs, and libraries, including online resources like Newstream full-text access and Box of Broadcasts.
- Utilizes 1400 study places with various learning environments, quiet and silent zones, and dedicated support services.
Outline:
Structure:
- Work-based with a focus on practical learning and project work.
- Blended online learning with lectures, quizzes, workshops, seminars, and brainstorming sessions.
- Regular tripartite meetings for progress monitoring and assessment support.
- In-person inductions for program familiarization and resource guidance.
Modules:
- Journalism Portfolio: Develop advanced storytelling skills through interviewing, writing, and multimedia production for various platforms.
- Digital Brand Publishing: Advance digital publishing expertise, including data analysis, SEO, social media, and storytelling techniques for diverse formats.
- Brand Awareness: Gain in-depth understanding of media brands, their development, and audience engagement strategies. Includes commercial considerations and monetization methods for content.
- Editorial Leadership: Cultivate management skills for leading editorial teams, including mentoring, delegating, decision-making, and pitching to executives and clients.
- Media Law and Ethics: Acquire up-to-date knowledge on defamation, privacy, copyright, and court-related law, with a focus on applying the Editors' code of ethics and responsible journalistic practices.
Assessment:
Assessment methods:
- Continuous assessments through various formats like written assignments, presentations, practical tasks, and exams.
Teaching:
Methods:
- Utilizes a hybrid approach with online lectures, workshops, and in-person seminars.
- Focuses on interactive learning and practical skill development.
Faculty:
- Led by experienced journalists with industry experience from publications like Grazia, The Mirror, Private Eye, and The Economist.
- Guest lectures and industry insights from leading media professionals are not explicitly mentioned in the context.
Careers:
Potential paths:
- Senior journalist
- Digital editor
- Content editor
- Features editor
- News editor
- Audience relationship manager
- Video journalist
- Specific mentions of program costs and entry requirements are not provided in the context.
Final Note:
This comprehensive breakdown of the Senior Journalist Apprenticeship program aims to provide a detailed overview of the program's structure, content, and learning outcomes. For further information regarding specific assessment criteria, program costs, and entry requirements, please refer to the official program website or contact the University of Sunderland directly.
