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LocationDomesticInternational
OnlineSession 1Session 1

Unit description

Completes students' introduction to journalism as a contemporary cultural and media practice. Students consolidate their skills in news gathering and writing, and are introduced to feature writing techniques through applied theory and practical activities and assessment. Students learn further research and interviewing skills, and develop a critical understanding of key professional, legal and ethics issues relevant to journalism.

Unit content

  • The nature of features
  • Story ideas and planning
  • Advanced interviewing
  • Feature writing techniques
  • Narrative and description
  • Legal issues and ethics
  • Rhetoric and persuasion
  • Data and verification
  • Marketing your work
  • Investigative journalism
  • Wordcraft and editing
  • Book-length features

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:GA1GA2GA3GA4GA5GA6GA7
1discuss the characteristics of feature writing, including the role of argument, narrative, persuasion and descriptionCreativityKnowledge of a disciplineLifelong learning
2apply skills in planning, researching and interviewing for feature-form journalism writing projectsCreativityKnowledge of a disciplineLifelong learning
3access, critically evaluate and document information sources, including reports, databases and specialist publicationsCreativityKnowledge of a disciplineLifelong learning
4write a newspaper/magazine feature articleCreativityKnowledge of a disciplineLifelong learning
5identify and discuss professional, legal and ethical issues in feature journalism practice.CreativityKnowledge of a disciplineLifelong learning

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. discuss the characteristics of feature writing, including the role of argument, narrative, persuasion and description
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
  2. apply skills in planning, researching and interviewing for feature-form journalism writing projects
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
  3. access, critically evaluate and document information sources, including reports, databases and specialist publications
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
  4. write a newspaper/magazine feature article
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
  5. identify and discuss professional, legal and ethical issues in feature journalism practice.
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning

Prescribed texts

  • Available to order through the Co-op Bookshop, www.coop.com.au: Tanner, S, Richardson, N & Kasinger, M , 2017, Feature Writing (Telling the Story), 3rd edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne. ISBN: 9780190304881.
Prescribed texts may change in future study periods.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method
Structured online learning (12 weeks)
Assessment
Profile feature on a place and/or person30%
News feature, research plan and critical reflection40%
Genre feature (eg travel, sport, product, event) and feature pitch30%
Notice

Intensive offerings may or may not be scheduled in every session. Please refer to the timetable for further details.

Southern Cross University employs different teaching methods within units to provide students with the flexibility to choose the mode of learning that best suits them. SCU academics strive to use the latest approaches and, as a result, the learning modes and materials may change. The most current information regarding a unit will be provided to enrolled students at the beginning of the study session.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
Commencing 2020 Commonwealth Supported only. Student contribution band: 1

Fee paying courses
For POSTGRADUATE or UNDERGRADUATE full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees

International

Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.

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