JB3350 Mobile Journalism and Digital Platforms Course description

This course immerses journalism students in the dynamic world of mobile journalism (mojo) and digital storytelling. Students will learn to harness the power of smartphones and digital platforms to create short, aesthetically engaging multimedia news stories. Beyond content creation, the course also delves into critical thinking about digital platforms, their impact on traditional journalism, and the ethical considerations of this new era. In addition, students will acquire essential skills in data visualization and culminate their learning by designing a multimedia scrolling reportage for the web.

The language of instruction for this course is English

None

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

Knowledge

The student:

• Sound and image as narrative elements in a short-form multimedia audiovisual narratives
• An understanding of the modern media landscape
• An understanding of how to develop journalistic story ideas into effective projects

Skills

The student:

• Can convey information in a correct and precise manner adapted to the genre, media platform and target groups using journalistic storytelling techniques and by creating dynamic original media content
• Can produce short, engaging stories at a fast tempo for mobile platforms
• Can produce creative media content that communicates a journalistic message effectively
• Can work creatively and practically with relevant software for publishing in various media from idea to finished product
• Has basic skills in image processing, illustration tools and web design for a scrolling news reportage

General competence

The student can:

• Reflect critically on the role of different mobile platforms and the power and place in the modern digital media ecosystem
• Can think critically in selection of journalistic sources and analysis of information

This course is designed to create a fast-paced, prolific production tempo that reflects the current multimedia landscape. Students will be required to produce several weekly multimedia shortform videos and posts that pertain to the thematic topics covered for each week. Topics shall include, but not be limited to: sports, climate, health, technology, politics, local reporting, youth, social justice, economy, inter alia.

In addition to weekly assignments, over the semester the students will create, individually or in groups of two, a larger multimedia scrolling reportage for the web. This project shall include some combination of pictures, video, text, and audio storytelling.

• Portfolio 1: At the end of the semester the students must be able to document weekly production shortform multimedia journalistic content pertaining to the various themes throughout the semester.
• Portfolio 2: Each student or pair of students create one multimedia feature scrolling news story as well as a reflection essay (5-8 pages). The reflection essay is done individually.

The purpose of portfolio 1 is to get students to create multimedia news content in various formats at a tempo that is reflective of that in faster-paced mobile platforms. The purpose of portfolio 2 is to have students integrate different storytelling skills and knowledge into a coherent, journalistically sound and aesthetically engaging multimedia project.

In the practical tasks, the scope will vary depending on the types of media or combinations thereof that the student chooses. The scope will be specified in the assignment texts or individually in collaboration with the subject teacher. More information about the content and deadlines for the assignments can be found in the teaching plan, which is electronically available to the students at the start of the course.

Students who do not submit work portfolios lose the right to receive feedback.

It is mandatory to participate in the weekly editorial meetings. Each weekly meeting with the instructor will be thematically focused and include a brief lecture on the week’s theme after which the class can brainstorm ideas and create a plan that pertains to the weekly theme/topic.

To ensure that the students get academic continuity and a basis for obtaining the necessary technical skills, attendance at all classes is compulsory. An absence of more than 20 per cent results in the loss of the right to take the final exam.

The exam in this course is individual and divided into two parts:

Part 1: a portfolio assessment that consists of work portfolio 2 and a selection of material from work portfolio 1.

Part 2: An adjusting oral exam no longer than 30 minutes where the student describes the work and the methods used in the portfolio assessment.

The exam must be written and conducted in English. Font and font size: Arial / Calibri / Verdana 12 points. Line spacing: 1,5.

The grade from Part I of the exam can be adjusted one step up or down.

Both parts of the exam must be passed to achieve a passing grade. The deadline for filing an appeal starts after the results for Part II of the exam have been announced.

In the event of a fail grade, all parts of the portfolio must be resubmitted. Students awarded a fail grade are given one opportunity to submit an improved version of the portfolio for assessment.

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.