MA Arts Journalism

Trimester A – Certificate Level

• Core Writing – Students will learn the key skills required to write as journalists and then focus those skills on subjects of their choice. The module offers an essential introduction to reporting, researching, interviewing, news values and news writing necessary for employment in all areas of the profession
• Core Broadcast – Students will learn the key skills necessary to become broadcast journalists and adapt those skills to their specialist field as appropriate. This module allows students to experience first hand the differences between the broadcasting and print mediums in an increasingly multi-platform media landscape
• Law & Institutions - All aspects of the law relating to the media are covered including defamation, contempt, intellectual property and the structure of the legal system. Students will be able to critically analyse a range of ethical and moral dilemmas confronting journalists and attempts to address these by means of voluntary or statutory codes of practice. At the same time this module explores the operation of the British parliamentary system within the context of membership of the EU. It considers the role of the journalist, in the coverage of local community, regional, national and EU affairs, and the pressures that can be brought to bear on journalists by politicians and officials, as well as campaign groups, community organisations, lobbyists and the public
• Arts Reporting – This module deals with the skills of the reviewer, whether in literature, film, exhibition, TV, theatre, or the creation of other media artefacts.

Trimester B – Diploma Level

• Specialist Reporting & Production (including Online Journalism) – This module requires each student to choose three elements from four. Specialist Reporting and Online Journalism are both mandatory elements and students can then choose between Magazine Production (Radio) and Editorial Production (Magazines). This module allows students to concentrate on their chosen discipline and produce feature articles in a variety of multi-platform formats. Writing and research skills are taught so they are relevant to all media platforms
• Research & Professional Placement – Students will take up a work placement in one of several different media organizations of their choice and receive prior guidance together with career advice. Students are encouraged to be flexible, thorough and focused in their approach.

Optional Elective Modules - Students choose one of the following options:

• Contemporary Art Theory – This module will explore the ways in which arts theory has attempted to handle the challenge of contemporary art practice and its subversion of traditional ideas of artistic value. It focuses on the shift that has occurred in the key relationships within the art world, and the role of the artist, the art work and the audience will be investigated
• Journalism & Literature – This module explores the relationship between literary production and different genres of journalism through detailed case studies of significant writers including Daniel Defoe, William Hazlitt, George Orwell, George Sand, Dorothy Parker, Truman Capote, Hunter S Thompson, Ernest Hemingway and Arundhati Roy
• Journalism and Contemporary Cinema – This module will enable students to explore and understand issues in journalistic film criticism in their historical, cultural and institutional context, thereby assisting them in the writing/production of their own reviews for specified outlets and audiences.

Trimester C – Masters Level

• Final Project – Dissertation, book chapter, radio documentary, portfolio of journalism articles, webpages. Students spend the final period of study during the summer on self-directed learning having already decided on the form of media product they will research and produce. Each student is allocated a personal tutor for support and guidance. The final project provides an opportunity to research and make an in-depth study of the student’s chosen subject area. Whatever the platform for delivery, this is a challenging piece of long-form journalism or journalism related enquiry that will attract the interest of future employers and prove that the student can achieve a truly high standard of reflective investigation as required at masters level
• For those students who choose to stay on to study for a higher research degree, a dissertation provides the ultimate evidence of their ability.

Each course is a fully taught programme with a substantial number of hours of directed and self-directed learning.

Assessments for all programmes are a mixture of essays, portfolios of journalism, broadcast media packages and timed examinations. However, it should be noted that assessments can be varied from time to time to reflect changes in best practice in both academic and vocational disciplines.

Weekly classes in shorthand are offered throughout trimesters A and B of the programme.

The School of Journalism boasts extensive state of the art facilities which are assigned to journalism students only. There are seven newsrooms, separate radio and TV studios and editing suites. The full range of industry software is available on computers from QuarkXPress to Adobe Photoshop.

John Pilger opened the School of Journalism in 2004 and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University in 2008. The School has appointed six visiting professors who give annual talks, seminars and masterclasses: Dorothy Byrne (head of news and current affairs, Channel 4); Phillip Knightley; Bridget Kendall; Libby Purves; Mike Jempson (director of MediaWise) and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

These distinguished journalists regularly give talks and master classes. At the same time, high profile members of the profession regularly give talks in the School’s Journalists Speak Out on Journalism visiting speaker series. Past speakers include John Pilger (world-renowned journalist and documentary film maker), Martin Bell (former distinguished BBC foreign affairs correspondent), Phillip Knightley (former Sunday Times Insight journalist and writer on the security services), Libby Purves (broadcaster, journalist and novelist), Roy Greenslade (former editor of the Daily Mirror and Professor of Journalism, City University), Will Lewis (past editor of the Daily Telegraph), Nick Davies (former journalist of the year and author of the controversial Flat Earth News), Bob Satchwell (Society of Newspaper Editors), Bridget Kendall (BBC diplomatic correspondent), Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Independent journalist and broadcaster), John Inverdale (BBC sports presenter), Roger Mosey (director of BBC sport), Jon Grubb (editor Lincolnshire Echo), Don Hale (former editor Matlock Mercury who helped secure the release of Stephen Downing in 2001), and Tessa Mayes (Panorama journalist and expert on privacy issues).

The School of Journalism has close links with the Lincolnshire Echo and MA students are regularly offered short placements with the newspaper.

The MA in Arts Journalism aims to equip students with the full range of skills – both practical and intellectual – necessary to work as journalists in reporting and reviewing the arts, ranging across the entire field of creative endeavour from painting and sculpture to the mass popular arts of film and television and emerging fields such as web-based production.

Beyond the crucial activity of reporting, the course seeks to develop the analytical powers of students to reflect on new developments and trends in artistic production.

A good honours degree from a recognized university or other institution of higher education, evidence of strong motivation and interest in journalism, successful performance at interview (face to face or by telephone). Applications from mature students are welcome.

For information about fees, scholarships and bursaries please see our Fees & Funding pages.

Fees and Funding