Journalism and Media Studies 3
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JMS3 |
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Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Term 4 |
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Media Law and Ethics Simon Pamphilon (12,5%) |
Public Communication Quatro Mgogo (12,5%) |
Self-Representation, Authenticity, and Social Media Chikezie Uzuegbunam (12,5%) |
Radical Discourses Online Lorenzo Dalvit (12,5%) |
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Electives Audio —Steven Lang Communication Design — Simon Pamphilon Photography — Harold Gess Television —Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki Writing & Editing —Rod Amner (50%) |
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Year Co-ordinator: Mr Simon Pamphilon
Room: 208
Email: s.pamphilon@ru.ac.za
Students who successfully complete JMS3 may choose to graduate at the end of their third year with a BA in Journalism and Media Studies. Alternatively, they may continue with JMS4 in order to graduate with a BJourn degree, which enables them to pursue a Masters degree. JMS3 is therefore designed both as an exit year in its own right and prepares students for the study of media at fourth-year level (Bjourn, Honours or a postgraduate diploma) and beyond. As such, it prepares students both for work in media production and for pursuing postgraduate study.
The media production components of JMS3 consist of five electives: Communication Design, Photography, Audio, Television, or Writing & Editing.
Times and venues
In third year there are two double-periods and two single-periods per week. There are also triple-period pracs on Wednesdays and Thursdays (you will be allocated to one of these for your media production).
Bio2 (Media Studies 1st and 2nd semesters)
Tuesday 12:20 to 13:05
Wednesday 12:20 to 13:05
Friday 14:15 to 15:55
Elective seminars and pracs
Venues are elective-specific. You will be notified of venues via email.
Tues 14:15 to 15:55
Wednesday OR Thursday 14:15 to 17:00
The courses
Media law and ethics (Term 1) – Mr Simon Pamphilon
This course examines ethical and legal issues relating to the practise of journalism and editorial decision-making in news production.
Public communication (Term 2) – Dr Quatro Ngogo
Public communication is the practice of creating and delivering relevant, creative, and responsible messages to serve the needs of a community, business, or organisation. Students are well-prepared for careers in NPO communications, government communications, community organising, event planning, and activist journalism, as well as in video, audio, graphic, and social media. This module will look at public communication from two perspectives, journalism for social change and communication for social change.
Self-representation, authenticity, and social media (Term 3) – Dr Chikezie Uzuegbunam
This course examines the impact of digital and visual culture on self-presentation and impression management, with an emphasis on how mobile and social media have altered self-presentation by media and digital users in South African context. It examines how users construct personal and commercial identities, and how these practices differ from traditional visual media formats. The course emphasises the role of technological competency, social skills, and digital literacies in creating and distributing digital self-representations. The course adopts a postmodern perspective, viewing self-representations as a ‘technique of self’ that produces specific forms of identity. It scrutinises the cultural, social, and political implications of digital self-representation in South African/African society. The course also investigates the concept of authenticity in the digital age, defined as being real, genuine, true to one’s inner self, and original.
Radical discourses online (Term 4) – Prof Lorenzo Dalvit
Digital media promises to revolutionise public debate by giving a “voice to the voiceless”. By problematising which voices, who the voiceless are, and why this is the case, we explore the relationship between old and new media and open the discussion around the emergence of truly alternative voices and viewpoints. This course draws on current debates around the relationship between technological and social development as well as your own reflections on your experience as media consumers and producers.
Specialisations
Audio – Mr Steven Lang
This course aims to provide students with a sound foundation in news and current affairs production. Attention will also be given to the practicalities of setting up and managing a production agency, with special emphasis on the newsroom. You will gain the conceptual skills necessary for the critical discussion of Audio production and of current institutional developments in audio.
Television – Ms Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki
In this course, students are taught to produce television journalism and are encouraged to think creatively about ways in which the moving image can be incorporated into the digital space. The course is an introduction to the principles of television news production, documentary-making, online and community journalism. During the first and second term, they learn shooting and editing techniques, field reporting, how to write for television news, live streaming technology and how to produce short documentaries. They also gain extensive experience in interviewing and structuring a story and learn how to put together a broadcast bulletin. In addition to the more traditional notions of TV journalism, students will explore the changing nature of news consumption in the online space. The course provides some theoretical grounding in the principles of television journalism.
Writing and editing – Mr Rod Amner
A 40-hour internship/observation in an appropriate media house is mandatory to pass W&E3
This course helps you go beyond the simple reproduction of vocational skills and knowledge, to develop more imaginative and effective conception, research and writing approaches to a range of story forms. This course combines several strands of knowledge and experience essential to journalism production. These include immersion in education as a beat vehicle that explores notions of community and civic journalism; an introduction to freelancing as a media producer; blogging as a vehicle offering the scope to ‘find’ oneself as a writer, editor and reporter; reading as a pivotal requirement for making meaningful writing; and excellence in a range of mediums and platforms. In all the strands that build this diverse course, you’ll be expected to question some of the common-sense assumptions underpinning the practice of journalism. This includes ethical practice.
Communication design – Mr Simon Pamphilon
This course aims to equip students with a solid foundation in the theory and practice of communication design, layout and editing, with an emphasis on the production of news publications. The course will cover principles of design, typography, using artwork (photos and illustrations), writing headlines and captions, basic copy editing and editorial decision-making, and reproduction and printing. You will also be introduced to various Adobe software packages, including InDesign and Photoshop.
Photography – Mr Harold Gess
The photography course offers students a solid foundation in photography and photo editing. Photography is presented as a way of being in and experiencing the world and simultaneously a way of communicating that experience and resulting in understanding with others. While photojournalism provides a foundation for the course, students are also encouraged to explore photographic genres of their choice. Students will also be introduced to multimedia storytelling. Skills knowledge is complemented by an introduction to scientific, aesthetic, ethical, historical, and critical thinking and writing on photography.
Mark allocation
Elective practice: 50%
Media law and ethics: 12.5%
Public communication: 12.5%
Self-representation and social media: 12.5%
Radical discourses online: 12.5%
Entry into JMS4
There are limited spaces available in fourth year so simply passing JMS3 does not guarantee you a place. We are looking for students who perform well in both their media studies and practical specialisation, and students who achieve below 60% for either their final JMS3 practical or media studies mark will severely jeopardise their chances of advancing into JMS4. When applying for JMS4 you must provide a letter of motivation, an official academic transcript, and in some cases portfolios of work and references. Specialisation lecturers may interview candidates. Students are not eligible to apply for entry into JMS4 if they have not completed JMS3 and their other major, or IsiXhosa for Journalism. If you are carrying credits other than those of your second major, you may apply for JMS4, but this might jeopardise your chances of acceptance. You may carry one minor credit into JMS4. All acceptances are provisional until approved by JMS4 board and the Dean of Humanities.
Last Modified: Wed, 24 Jul 2024 16:25:31 SAST