Introductory Day
The programme begins with an introductory day where we match our expectations. The introduction gives you an overview of the entire programme. The courses are planned and the methods of teaching are introduced. You will also get a practical introduction to the e-learning system.
News Reporting and Writing 1-3
The incentive of this course, which spans three semesters, is for students to acquire the knowledge and practical skills necessary to work as a journalist. You will be working with the following genres and methods:
• News. The concept of news and the fundamental methods of the course are introduced. You will be introduced to the tools necessary to find news, analyze their news value and present them to different target groups. You will test various methods for idea development, research techniques and questioning techniques and you will be taught how to present news and write concisely. You will also be working with the genres connected to news such as cases and interviews. Finally you will be introduced to methods of coaching, constructive feedback and text analysis.
• Background. You will become familiar with research such as the confronting interview. We will discuss the demands for documentation and you will be introduced to methods of testing the validity of documentation. Simultaneously, you will be trained in narrative techniques. During this semester, we will also be working with coaching, analysis and giving and receiving constructive feedback.
• The Feature. You will be testing various narrative techniques, such as reporting and narrative journalism. You will be working with methods of research and interviewing connected to these narrative techniques including observation and the experience interview. Coaching and feedback is an important part of this course.
• Web-tv. You will produce stories in moving pictures, work with cameras and edit web TV features. The Web TV part covers several full days and lessons are based on hands-on exercises with cameras and editing equipment. There will be presentations and discussions on how web TV functions as a journalistic tool and how to define successful web TV.
Media Law
Media Law introduces you to the core principles and legislation relevant for journalists and the media. You will learn how to apply the legal knowledge as a practical tool and you will obtain a familiarity with legal terminology, the structure of the legal system and the basic legal theories and methods. You will receive a thorough introduction to freedom of speech. Starting with paragraph 77 of the constitution and the European Human Rights Convention article no. 10, you will go on a guided tour of media ethics including the rules of the criminal law concerning libel. Actual court orders make up a considerable part of the curriculum. Media Law is also concerned with source protection, witness exemption and access to documents of public authorities, courts and EU institutions.
History and Ethics of Journalism
What are the intents and purposes of journalism? These are questions which will dominate the agenda of this course. You will learn how journalism has developed since the great Danish press revolution set in the beginning of the 18th century. We will discuss the practical and principle strengths and weaknesses of the tools, instruments and methods that have developed over time. During lectures, we connect significant journalistic theories with a series of practical examples from national and international editing rooms, thus enabling you to understand how journalism has been shaped in the past and how it will develop in the future.
Media Language 1 and 2
You are already good at writing, but are you able to supply texts that awaken interest in your readers and inspire to further reading? Media Language 1 and 2 develop your skills of understanding, discussing and developing journalistic writing and narrative technique. You learn how to analyze and write articles that can capture the interest of your readers while enlightening them.
• Media Language 1 focuses on the genres of background journalism. You learn how to work with compositions and the linguistic constituent elements that secure maximum contact with your readers.
• Media Language 2 teaches you how to position yourself as narrator. The feature requires you to thematise and present your material in terms of other criteria than that of news. You must learn to be present without losing your credibility.
Methods and Source Criticism
Journalists are often criticised for poor source criticism and for knowing too little about social science methods. But what is source criticism? And how do you work with numbers and methods within the field of social science? This course combines the methods of historians and social scientists with journalistic practice.
Media and Society
This course focuses on the conditions that shape the form and function of journalism and how journalism influences society. We will investigate which conditions influence the presentation of news such as economy, politics, organization, norms and routines. We will analyze the function of the media in terms of formation of opinions and the determination of the political agenda. We will discuss whether the Danish democracy has been medialised – whether political communication is subject to a sort of “media logic”.
Mentorship
The mentorship has been developed for this particular programme. This short course is placed in the beginning of the fourth semester, and requires you to spend one – two weeks with a news organization, editorial office or with a journalist of your own choice. This experience enables you to understand the role and methods of journalists. Also, this internship functions as preparation for the master thesis.
Master thesis
Most of the fourth semester has been allotted to working on your master thesis. The thesis combines the practical skills and the academic knowledge you have acquired during the programme.