JOU 3557 Investigative Reporting - RE-SIT EXAMINATION

APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015

JOU 3557 Investigative Reporting - RE-SIT EXAMINATION


Responsible for the course
Guri Hjeltnes

Department
Department of Communication and Culture

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
7,5

Language of instruction
Norwegian

Introduction


    Learning outcome
    In this course, students learn critical examination methods in journalism and work systematically to dig up exclusive news including databases, records and archives. The course places special emphasis on teaching students advanced digital research and computer-assisted journalism (CAR) through practical exercises. Students will have developed source critical skills and understanding of the press's responsibility to monitor and detect misconduct in the community.

    Acquired Knowledge
    • Students will become familiar with the investigative journalism development and role in today's media, especially the opportunities and challenges involved in working with and presenting investigative journalism online in a busy news day.
    • Students will acquire detailed knowledge of legal and ethical guidelines for the investigative journalism. Students should also be familiar with the various search engines, file and registry resources both at home and abroad and learn how these can be tapped.
    • Students will develop the ability to analyse complex information and review the information validity and reliability.

    Acquired Skills
    • Students will be able to build source network and source drive care within the applicable ethical and legal frameworks.
    • Students will master advanced interviewing, and through practical exercises, students will acquire in-depth knowledge of source criticism and information gathering on the Internet, with a particular emphasis on database searching and sorting of large data sets.
    • Students will be able to build their own databases and collect information through crowd sourcing projects and the use of open source tools.

    Reflection
    Through meetings with people from the practice field - both journalists and professional sources - students will be trained in the source-critical skills and awareness of, responsibility, integrity and loyalty, including the source of care and proper relation to the sources.

    Prerequisites
    Completion of the course in Journalism and news.

    Compulsory reading
    Books:
    Hjeltnes, Guri og Morten Møller Warmedal, red. 2012. Gravende journalistikk. Gyldendal akademisk. Ca 400 sider
    Nedrelid, Tord E., Ståle de Lange Kofoed. 2009. Digital sporhund : søk på Internett med journalistisk metode. IJ-forlaget. 152 sider

    Collection of articles:
    Guri Hjeltnes. Kompendium i Undersøkende journalistikk med aktuelle artikler - i en medieverden i rask digital bevegelse. Handelshøyskolen BI. Ca 40-50 sider

    Recommended reading
    Books:
    De Burgh, Hugo ... [et al.], ed. 2008. Investigative journalism. 2nd ed. Routledge

    Course outline
    • Source criticism in investigative journalism
    • Source criticism on the Internet
    • Detection method / financial crime
    • Methods of investigative dissidence

    Computer-based tools
    Windows Movie Maker and other free software online. It's learning.

    Learning process and workload
    The course will be conducted through a combination of lectures, activation and guidance with practical exercises and case. They shall undertake to dig through the course project where the methods they have learned for investigative journalism are applied. They will document the steps in working through a self-assessment that also includes source-critical and ethical reflection - either specifically related to the project work, or of a more general nature.

    Recommended use of hours:
    Activity
    Use of hours
    Participation in class
    27
    Preparation for lecture / reading literature
    90
    Teamwork and assignments
    23
    Portfolio Work
    20
    Guidance and preparation
    6
    Self-study el colloquium
    10
    Exam / case for exam
    24
    Recommended use of hours in total
    200


      Examination
      The final grade in the course is determined on the basis of the following elements:

      Part 1: Portfolio, 60%
      Assignment must be submitted for assesement and shall consist of:
      - A written investigative project in text form. Alternatively, a digital investigative project (motion pictures with audio, or still pictures with audio and text). If you supply a digital investigative project must be delivered on USB memory key labeled with your student number and examination code.
      - Self-assessment (see description under Learning Process).
      The submission can be solved individually or two students together.

      Part 2: 72-hour take-home exam, 40%
      Home exam will be distributed at the end of the semester.

      Both task and home examinations must be passed to obtain a final grade in the course.

      Examination code(s)
      JOU 35571 - The portfolio accounts for 60% of the final grade in the course JOU 3557 Investigative Reporting, 7.5 credits.
      JOU 35572-72-hour take-home exam counts for 40% of the final grade in the course JOU 3557 Investigative Reporting, 7.5 credits.

      Examination support materials
      All support materials are allowed.

      Re-sit examination
      The course was lectures last time in the fall of 2011.
      In acc. decision of the Education Committee 9/24/2013 extraordinary re-sit examiniations are offered spring 2014, and the last time spring 2015.

      Additional information

      Semesters

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