Term 2 & 3: Assessment Requirements, Grading & Deadlines

This page does not contain comprehensive module or course information and you should all read, in full the IMMJ Handbook PROGRAMME HANDBOOK — MA in International Multimedia Journalism 2015/2016.

Term 2:

In term 2 you will be completing 2 modules:

• MAIMJ4020 Advanced Practice 2
• MAIMJ4021 Critical Thinking in Practice

See the image below for a recap of all programme modules:

TERM 2 GUIDANCE — IMMJ 4020 — Advanced Practice 2

You will plan, report, edit and publish two long-form multimedia features. For the second project, you may work as individuals or partner up.

You will be assessed on your:

• Two practical projects
• Two accompanying project forms (Even if partnering each student needs independent project forms for each project).
• You will have two marks overall, one for the two projects and one for the two project forms. There is plenty of guidance for the project forms here.

Remember there is no formula for a successful multimedia feature, as you see on the contently page multimedia stories are very diverse in terms of topic, approach, methodology and design. So please be inspired, creative and innovative, and choose an approach that fits your particular story.

There are a few explicit requirements:

• Both multimedia features should incorporate all core skills and mediums covered in Term 1: Photography, audio (most likely — but not necessarily — as part of video), video, text, graphics, as well as social media + engagement. *Note, in term 2, you maybe able to negotiate this full media approach and focus on one or two mediums, or choose a purely social publishing platform such as Instagram, anything is possible, so long as you have a compelling idea and reason. (For example you want to focus on a 7 minute web documentary, or you want to do a data investigation. An alternative approach however needs to be negotiated early on and well before the reporting period, thinking of doing something different and using one key medium? See this Berkley tutorial on Tutorial: Picking The Right Media For A Story).
• Each medium should be complimentary, not redundant or repetitive; different parts of a story should be told using different media. Each medium needs to be carefully considered. Make considered choices and use the medium, whether it be video, audio, photos, text or graphics, to deliver story components in the most compelling and informative way.
• Your stories maybe linear or non linear, but they need to be logically and well structured, to take your audience through your story in a meaningful way. So when they arrive at the end, they have been given an insight into an interesting topic.
• Both multimedia features need a clear and journalistic driven story focus. You should be able to clearly articulate a concise nut-graph in line with your chosen focus.
• Your stories are multimedia projects and it’s essential they have a strong visual element. From the very beginning, when you are selecting your story, make sure your story lends itself to visuals.
• In the second project, you will incorporate your 800 (or so) text article that you craft in Michael Jordan’s extended writing workshop.
• The reporting must meet high standards of accuracy, fairness and balance.
• You will also need to adhere to ethical guidelines.
• You should all be using hyperlinking.
• English and grammar must be excellent throughout, including subtitles etc.
• You must include primary and secondary sources such as field and expert interviews, research papers, documents,

For the Advanced Practice 2 Section of your project forms are as follows:

• Production Plan
• Production Methodology
• Ethical Assessment
• Risk Assessment
• Engagement Plan
• Media Archive
• Diary - This should provide a day by day account of what you did with your weekly 40 hours. It should also provide reflections on what you are learning about your story and multimedia journalism.

TERM 2 GUIDANCE — IMMJ 4021 — Critical Thinking in Practice

David Campbell’s theory module for Term 2 is IMMJ 4021 — Critical Thinking in Practice.

The work for this module is that which will go into sections 1–4 of the project form:

• Sources
• Research Questions
• Research Proposal
• Research Abstract.

Those sections have to be completed for submission with the whole project form. Let me explain what is required for the Research Questions and the Research Proposal:

Research questions are the questions that drive your project. They are the questions you are seeking to answer through the visual story that you are proposing. They are not to be mistaken with interview questions. You will have somewhere between 3–5 research questions, with the first one being the most general and directed at the context of the story, working your way down to more specific questions.

For example, if you were doing a visual story on HIV-AIDS victims in a particular village who have suffered poor health care, your research questions might look like this:

1. What is the current status of the HIV-AIDS pandemic in China?

2. How has government — central, regional, local — responded to the pandemic?

3. When and how did people in village X contract HIV-AIDS?

4. Why did people in village X receive inadequate health care?

You will now see that when constructed properly along these lines, your Research Questions can provide the structure for your Research Proposal. The Proposal (1500 words each) is an integral part of the project form, and is to be written like an academic essay, along the lines you did for AdRes, which means it has to be properly structured and referenced using the author:date system. In the Proposal you deal with the context of your story, and the research data that will inform your understanding of the issues in your story. It does not contain any production or practice-related issues, which are dealt with in other sections of the form. The Research Abstract is and edited version of the 1,500 word proposal, and requires you to focus on the overall themes of your project in a shorter version.

The first project form is due in draft form on 15 January and you should have been working on the research sections too. However, because this year the first project form is due so early I will treat this project as one which is not assessed for marks. You will still complete the research sections, and I will provide feedback, but they will not be marked. And because this guidance has been late in getting to you, you have until 31 January to complete the research sections of the project. When you have completed those sections, you email me the whole project form with all the sections completed for me to see.

For the second project, you will complete the research sections at the same time as you complete the whole project and submit the form via email to David Campbell and via Dropbox to Sharron & Sean. (29 April), and you also send the whole project form to me by that date. — DAVID CAMPBELL

Term 3:

In term 3 you will be completing 2 modules:

MAIMJ5010 Advanced Practice 3

MAIMJ5012 Critical Analysis and Reflection

TERM 2 GUIDANCE — IMMJ 5010 — Advanced Practice 3

You will plan, report, edit and publish a single in-depth, long-form multimedia feature. You may partner up, if your previous partnership demonstrates a strong level of success.

You will be assessed on your:

• Final practical project
• Accompanying project form
• You will have two marks overall, one for the two projects and one for the two project forms. There is plenty of guidance for the project forms here.

You may refer to the term 2 criteria. We expect to see entry level professional journalism standards in your final project.

TERM 2 GUIDANCE — IMMJ 5012 — Critical Analysis and Reflection

Coming soon from David Campbell.