Main Aim(s) of the Unit:

This Unit aims to provide learners with a broad basic knowledge and understanding of digital sub editing and page design, both for print and online

It will familiarise learners with the editing skills required for the digital age and the methods and approaches required for digital text editing, as well as providing them with a practical guide to page layout, including writing headlines, captions and editing body text for a variety of different outputs in a multi platform environment. They will understand about effective use of typefaces both in headlines and in body text, about the effective use of photographs and other graphic illustrations.

Main Topics of Study:

Traditional approaches

• The development of newspapers and the role of the designer and sub-editor
• Importance of design and page layout - and the main stages of development

The Digital Revolution

• Phase 1 - The arrival of computers in newspapers - the non-manual typewriter era
• Phase 2 - the Pagination era
• The main players in the Digital Revolution - Aldus Pagemaker, Quark Xpress, Indesign - and their main features, foibles and failures

Editorial Production

• The structure of the newsroom
• The traditional roles - copytaster and sub editor
• Core skills for the sub-editor

Text and Text Editing

• Basic parts of speech - referring back to English for Journalists Unit - Essential sub-editing
• Sticking to the facts
• producing effective copy

Publication Style

• Defining audiences and audience needs
• Usage
• Paper
• Colour
• Page structure
• House styles
• Typefaces
• Graphics

Design and Typography

• Typefaces
• Fonts and Font Styles
• Layout variations, including justification and hyphenation
• Spacing and shaping
• Column widths
• Kerning
• Headlines
• Cross heads
• Sidebars and textboxes

Dealing with pictures and other graphic materials

• Photos and photo sources
• Cropping and sizing
• Other visual elements - graphics, diagrams cartoons etc
• Using Visuals to Simplify Complex Detail
• Commercial Software packages
• Copyright

Newspaper Design

• Page layout
• Marking up
• Editing symbols
• Story counts
• Matching news values to available content

Magazine Design

• Differences between magazines and newspapers
• Size and scale
• Front covers
• Interior layout
• Headings as display
• Photos and other graphic illustrations
• Running and shaping text

Editing Text for the Web

• Importance of text Online
• Headlines online 
• Writing online
• Usability

Designing for the web

• Modem faces
• Typefaces
• Easing navigation
• Designing for the Screen
• Designing pages for speed not appearance

Learning Outcomes for the Unit

Knowledge and Understanding - having completed this Unit learners should be able to :

1. Identify the distinctive qualities of journalism online, in print and in vision, and the essential similarities and differences
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of layout and design in print
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of layout and design and online
4. Demonstrate a knowledge of type faces, fonts and their effective in the design and layout of print and online pages
5. Demonstrate an understanding of page make-up and desktop publishing software
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the effective use of text in headlines and body copy
7. Demonstrate a knowledge of the effective application of photographs, graphics, stills and other illustrative material
8. Communicate effectively through Print and Online pages

The numbers in the boxes below show which of the above unit learning outcomes are related to particular cognitive and key skills.

Learning and teaching methods/strategies used to enable the achievement of learning outcomes:

Learning should take place on a number of levels, principally through lectures, but centres should also encourage seminars, presentation and class discussion, including review and analysis of current media issues.

Formal lectures should provide a foundation of information on which the student builds through directed learning and self managed learning outside the class.

Assessment methods which enable the student to demonstrate the learning outcomes for the Unit:

At this level we anticipate that students will be able to successfully demonstrate the knowledge and experience acquired in the form of a single written examination

Written examination : 3 hours duration Weighting : 100%

Indicative Reading For This Unit

Main Text

Quinn, Stephen (2002) Digital Sub-Editing and Design (Focal Press)
Frost, Chris (2003) Designing for Newspapers and Magazines (Routledge)

Alternative Text and Further Reading

McLoughlin, Linda (2000) The Language of Magazines (Routledge)
Kipfer, Barbara Ann - editor ( 3rd Edition 2005) Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus (Dell)

Recommended Websites -

Jakob Nielsen - Usability - http://www.useit.com/
American Newspaper Publishing - www.editorandpublisher.com
Newspaper Association of America - www.naa.org

Guideline for Teaching and Learning Time

Unit Content : this course will consider

50 hours Lectures/ Seminars/Tutorials/Workshops
Tutorial support includes feedback on assignments and may vary from college to college according to local needs and wishes

50 hours Directed Learning
Advanced reading, research and preparation, background reading, Group study and portfolio

50 hours Self managed learning
Working through the course text and other recommended reading material, use of the web, interaction with other students and in the field research at relevant sporting events