EPN

MJ5100 Investigative Journalism and Cross Border Cooperation Emneplan

Engelsk emnenavn
Investigative Journalism and Cross Border Cooperation
Studieprogram
Masterstudium i medieutvikling / Masterstudium i medieutvikling, deltid
Omfang
10.0 stp.
Studieår
2020/2021
Timeplan
Emnehistorikk

Innledning

Journalism is changing and so is investigative journalism. Amongst the factors that affect investigative journalism are emerging digital media and changing technology. This course aims to encourage investigative journalism in digital times and gives students the opportunity to collaborate across borders using digital technology. A rising trend within international investigative journalism is to collaborate across borders and exchange useful information and data. Similarly, investigative journalists increasingly work in interdisciplinary teams drawing on expertise from such fields as law, economy, information technology and social science. The course seeks to deepen the understanding and knowledge of such investigative journalism.

The course will emphasize digital ways to investigate data. Students will learn principles of big data harvesting and analysis, and they will collaborate internationally with other students either on analyses of digital working methods or on doing more practical research related to investigative stories.  

Another important aspect will be securing digital life and protecting sources when doing collaborative investigations across borders.

Forkunnskapskrav

None

Læringsutbytte

The student should have the following learning outcomes upon successful completion of the course:

Knowledge

The student

  • has acquired thorough knowledge of theories and methodologies within digital investigative journalism
  • has acquired solid knowledge of both traditional investigative journalism and more recent digital investigative journalism 
  • has got insight into how to collaborate across borders by utilizing digital Tools
  • has developed an advanced understanding of investigative techniques, particularly when used online
  •  has developed an advanced knowledge and understanding of ethical perspectives of digital investigative journalism

Skills

The student

  •  can use appropriate theories, methods and knowledge to develop and conduct an investigative journalistic project with digital methodologies   
  • can analyze and reflect upon both traditional investigative journalism as well as recently developed methods and genres 

General competence

The student

  • is able to analyze organizational and practical aspects of investigative journalism
  • is capable of gathering data in national as well as international contexts and analyze ethical and legislative concerns as a result of such work

Arbeids- og undervisningsformer

Lectures and workshops.

Arbeidskrav og obligatoriske aktiviteter

There are seven assignments, out of which four must be approved in order to qualify for the exam. All assignments are connected to workshops where students will work in groups with support from experienced journalists, accountants and digital safety experts to learn skills and acquire knowledge necessary to do cross border investigative journalism. All assignments must be written in English. The assignments will be discussed in groups with other students and a teacher. The student will then have the opportunity to improve the assignments before the final handing in.

The details of the assignments will be given in the beginning of the semester. The length of each assignment is  3 - 5 pages. If an assignment is not approved, the student may hand in a new, improved version within a set deadline. If the student does not meet the set deadline for at least four of the assignments, the student loses the possibility to hand in the assignment, and thereby loses to right to sit for the exam

Vurdering og eksamen

The exam is a 7 days written home examination of 7 - 9 pages. The paper may be written in either English or Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language).

Students who have failed a regular examination may submit a revised version of the exam one time. Students with legitimate absence are entitled to submit the term paper to the new examination.

Vurderingsuttrykk

The exam will be assessed according to a grading scale where A (highest) and E (lowest) denote a pass and F denotes a fail.

Sensorordning

All exam papers are assessed by an internal examiner. In addition, at least 25 % of the exam papers will be assessed by an external examiner, whose assessment will form the basis of the level for each grade within the grading scale. The internal examiner’s assessment of all papers shall be based on the external examiner’s assessment.

Opptakskrav

A bachelor's degree. The minimum academic requirement for admission is the grade C, in accordance with Regulations Relating to Admission to Master's Degree Programmes at OsloMet.