Main topics of study:

What is Journalism:

• What makes a Good Journalist?
• The Skills of a Good Journalist
• Role in Journalism
• Categories of Written Publication

What is News:

• News Ideas
• Assessing News Value
• Good News & Bad

Gathering News:

• News Room
• Contacts & News Leads
• Investigative Reporting
• Developing Story Ideas
• Chasing Facts
• Making Inquiries
• Taking Notes
• Dealing with People
• Being Fair & Thorough
• Pictures
• Sources of Background Information

Interviewing:

• Preparation
• Establishing Confidence
• Coaxing Answers
• Checking Back
• Telephone Interviews
• Controversial Interviews
• Failed Interviews
• Vetting Copy

Local Reporting:

• The District Reporter
• Developing Contacts
• Local Organisations
• People in the Know
• The Local Angle
• Diary jobs

News Writing:

• The Right Angle
• Style
• Opening Sentence
• Grabbing the Reader
• Order of Facts
• Quotes
• Presentation
• Helping the Reader
• Complaints
• Summarising
• Writing for the National, Local & Other News Markets

Newspaper Language:

• Newspaper English
• Journalese
• Sequence & Structure
• Storytelling Techniques
• Bad Habits
• Style
• Punctuation
• Quotes
• Grammar

News Reporting:

• Courts
• Government
• Politics
• Business & Industry
• Religion
• Sport

Specialist Writing:

• Feature Writing
• Arts Reviews

Newspaper Structure:

• Roles
• Copy Input
• Page Production
• Press & Post Press

Ethics:

• Press Complaints
• Accountability
• Informants
• People in the News

Reading List

Main Text:
Practical Newspaper Reporting - Geoffrey Harris & Davis Spark (Butterworth Heinemann)

Alternative Texts and Further Reading:
English Style & Usage - Simon Jenkins (Times)
Newspaper Language - Nicholas Bagnall (Butterworth Heinemann)
Modern Newspaper Practice - F W Hodgson (Butterworth Heinemann)