JB2100 Investigative Journalism Course description

Studentene skal i dette emnet videreutvikle kompetansen sin i gravejournalistikk / undersøkende metoder. Parallelt med dette skal de utvikle kunnskapen om det norske samfunnet slik at de vet hvordan det fungerer strukturelt og økonomisk.

"Fake news", propaganda, media manipulation and other forms of disinformation have dominated the media and political landscapes over the past few years. A major question is how journalists should respond to an increasingly complex media and information landscape, which questions factuality and traditional authorities of knowledge, such as journalism and academic research. In this course, students will learn how disinformation diffuses in society, how to detect it, and which methods of fact checking and source criticism can help journalists to counter disinformation.

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After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has knowledge of

• the role of fake news and other forms of disinformation in society
• different methods of fact checking and source criticism
• visual literacy
• the role of legacy, social and alternative media in diffusions of disinformation
• how to counter disinformation based on cognitive research

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Skills

The student

• can perform fact checking;
• can critically reflect on concepts like disinformation and journalistic authority
• has advanced skills in the critical assessment of sources;

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General competence

The student

• is competent in media and visual literacy
• can critically reflect on the possibilities and limitations of journalism¿s role as a conveyer of facts and truths

Studentene skal gjennomføre et gruppeprosjekt. Gruppeprosjektet skal resultere i en medieproduksjon, som er et journalistisk gravearbeid. Det er tre arbeidskrav i tilknytning til gruppeprosjektet:

• Prosjektskisse, der hensikten er at studentene viser at de har forstått hva undersøkende journalistikk er, samt at de kan anvende denne kunnskapen i et konkret graveprosjekt. Omfang: ca 4 A4-sider. Skrifttype Arial eller Calibri, størrelse 12pkt, linjeavstand: 1,5. Gruppeoppgave.
• Teori-/analyseoppgave, der hensikten er at studentene skal analysere strukturer og økonomiske forhold på feltet de planlegger å undersøke i graveprosjektet. Omfang: ca 5 A4-sider. Skrifttype Arial eller Calibri, størrelse 12pkt, linjeavstand: 1,5. Individuell oppgave.
• En muntlig presentasjon av metodene bak prosjektet, der hensikten er å få praktisk trening i gruppepresentasjon. Omfang: ca 10 minutter. Gruppeoppgave.

Arbeidskravene må være innlevert/gjennomført innen fastsatt frist og godkjent for at studentene skal kunne gå opp til eksamen. Studenter som ikke får oppgaven godkjent på første forsøk, kan levere omarbeidet versjon en gang. Ved sykdom eller annen dokumentert tvingende grunn kan studenten avtale en egen frist med faglærer.

De journalistiske arbeidene skal kunne publiseres i nettavisa Journalen. Informasjon om innhold og tidsfrister for oppgavene framgår av emnebeskrivelsen, som gjøres elektronisk tilgjengelig for studentene ved emnestart. For utfyllende opplysninger om arbeidskrav, se programplanen.

Participation during class sessions is mandatory. Students who have more than 20 percent absence from class sessions will have to hand in an additional;assignment.;;Students who have more than 25;percent absence from class sessions will;;not be qualified to take the exam.

The coursework requirements consist of three obligatory assignments. Two of the assignments will be practical and one theoretical. The theoretical assignment will be an individual 3-4 pages discussion based on the course literature. The practical assignments will be conducted in groups. One will be an analytical study of disinformation with a group presentation of around 15 minutes, and the other a fact-checking exercise resulting in a group report of around 2-3 pages. The purpose of the assignments is to prepare the student for the exam. All three assignments must be handed in within the deadline and approved before the student can take the exam.

If the assignment is not approved, the student may hand in a new, improved version within a set deadline. In the event of illness or other documented absence for compelling reasons, special deadlines can be agreed with the lecturer. If a student fails to submit work within the deadline stipulated in the course plan or agreed with the lecturer, the assignment cannot be submitted, and the student will lose the right to take the exam.

Individual three days take home exam. Analytical paper (6-8 pages).;Font and font size: Arial or Calibri 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5.The exam can be written in English or Norwegian.;

No aids are permitted.

Grade scale A-F

The exam papers are assessed by one internal and one external examiner. At least 25% of the exam papers will be assessed by two examiners. The grades awarded for the papers assessed by two examiners form the basis for determining the level for all the exam papers..