TV/Video Journalism Course
Hours (unless informed otherwise): 08h30 to 16h30 daily, as well as some later hours when out filming, and some homework.
Who is the course for?
Honours or Masters journalism students or mid-career journalists who want to be able to transfer their skills into television or audio-visual media. It is not possible to train a television journalist to professional standards in two weeks but students who make use of the opportunities offered will gain a much deeper understanding of the techniques of television journalism writing and production, the editorial decision making process as it applies to television. They will make at least two video stories on the course.
Outline
The course will give students a grounding in television journalism that is applicable to television broadcasting as well as to audio visual journalism on the Internet and mobile media. Students on the course will learn how to research, develop, plan, shoot and edit television stories. They will gain an understanding of television storytelling and how it differs from other media. They will learn to analyse television news stories and the narrative techniques employed. They will learn basic skills and concepts in shooting and editing television material.
The course is mostly practical with assignments that must be completed against deadlines.
Key elements of the curriculum
- Narrative: storytelling on television
- Training in Production (cam, sound, editing)
- Techniques for Researching and writing for television
- Practical: making short news/current affairs reports
- Analysing television news
Background
Video journalism is an exploding field. As well as broadcast news and current affairs, video is now an important part of most news sites and on social media. As well as learning about the general principles and practice of television journalism, students will gain an understanding of some of the changes that are occurring in newsrooms today and in video technologies and will gain some useful skills that they can apply in the very quick changing professional environment they already work in or will be entering.
Requirements and Assessment
All students:
- Attendance and participation in television journalism course
- Portfolio of work completed by the end of the course (half of which will be a ‘team mark and half of which will be an individual mark based on the convener’s assessment of the individual contribution to the completed piece(s))
- Case Study report on topic to be approved by Course Convener demonstrating learnings from the course (up to 2,500 words).
- Master’s students will be required to submit an additional analysis of a video journalism story ( 4,000 words).
Please note that (on time) attendance is a DP requirement.
For details on application forms and fees please contact: admission@journalism.co.za or +27 11 717 4794.
