JB3310 Futures of journalism, needs and risks Course description

At its best journalism allows citizens to make informed decisions about central issues that affect their lives. In today’s world, journalism face several risks. Attacks on press freedom, spread of disinformation, increased precarisation of journalistic labour, undermining of the credibility and accountability of journalism, and threats against journalists’ life and safety both online and offline are global and increasing problems.

Changes in the way journalism and news is produced, distributed, and consumed lead to new possibilities and challenges for media systems, investigative journalism, representations, and press freedom around the world.

In this course we will focus on the futures of journalism, on what its need are to be relevant, important, and accessible. Attention will be given to discussions related to the advent and impact of AI (artificial intelligence), processes of disinformation and fact validation, digital safety, and gender dimensions in different legal, economic, technological, and sociocultural contexts.

The course will be taught in English.

None

Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to achieve the following learning outcomes defined in knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Kunnskap 

The student has knowledge of

• important needs of journalism to be able to thrive as important to and relevant for different levels of society, as well as the needs of journalists in order to work professionally and credibly.
• central risks to journalism, both as a field and as a profession, internationally and in specific regions.

Ferdigheter 

The student can 

• identify how political context, legal framework, economic and sociocultural contexts can be used to strengthen or counteract the role of journalism
• discuss the pro and cons of the introduction of new technology and innovative solutions to journalistic practice
• identify and/or develop ways of securing the safety of journalists both in the field anddigitally

Generell kompetanse 

The student 

• understands how media policies and development may be of importance to the development of quality journalism
• can reflect, reason and justify ways in which journalism should be fact checked
• is aware of the risks and benefits of AI to the field of journalism

The students work in the following ways: 

• Plenary lectures and debates
• Group work
• Presentations

The teaching takes place in person, on campus.

To qualify for the exam, the student needs to comply with the following work requirements:  

·Work requirement 1:

Group work and presentation of no less than 10 minutes to the class of the situation of journalism - its needs and risks in a particular place.

Work requirement 2:

Presentation of term paper in draft form (minimum 2 pages) to the class, either individual or in pairs.  

The purpose of these work demands is to share knowledge of relevance to the course to the rest of the class and to get feedback on drafts of the term paper.

All required coursework must be completed and approved by the given deadline for the student to take the exam. If the coursework requirements have not been approved, the student will be given one opportunity to submit an improved version by a given deadline 

The exam is an individual analytic, theory-based term paper investigating an aspect of possibilities and challenges to the future of journalism, 8-12 pages. The exam must be written in English. Font and font size: Arial / Calibri / Verdana 12 points. Line spacing: 1,5.

All aids are permitted, as long as the student complies with the rules for source referencing

Grade scale A-F

All exam papers are assessed by one internal and one external examiner.