Subjects in Journalism

Macleay College's journalism course is the most comprehensive available in Australia. Macleay offers students a full complement of courses in print, radio and television journalism. All students take courses in these three media.

Journalism students are not confined to the classroom but are given real-world assignments to cover stories in the courts, state and local government, sporting events, financial institutions, the arts and entertainment industries, and major social issues in health, education and culture.

Students learn and practise the techniques required for interviews, research and investigation.

News Reporting
The basics of researching and writing publishable news stories for newspapers and magazines.  Topics covered include: news gathering and verifying, interviewing, news writing techniques and style; structuring stories; reporting speech and opinions; collecting evidence and data; selecting newsworthy topics; ethics and conventions; presenting copy. Areas of reporting practise include: crime and courts; local government and state parliament; social issues such as health, education and the environment; entertainment and the arts; business and finance.

Feature Writing
Feature story writing for newspapers and magazines.  Topics include: feature story leads; feature story structures; dialogue and character; scene descriptions; participant observation; feature length interviews; investigation techniques; organising data and evidence; developing concepts and marketing stories.

Sub-Editing for Print and Digital Media
Sub-editing for newspapers and magazines, as well as the preparation and presentation of material for digital media. Topics include: roles and responsibilities of sub-editors; correcting copy, house styles; principles of journalistic prose; style, grammar and spelling; re-writing stories; checking for accuracy; Internet, online and offline reference sources; headlines, typography; captions; handling photographs; digital media production process; images and image formats.

Print Editing and Production
The range of work involved in magazine and newspaper editing and production.  Topics include: The role of the editor in control and design of publications; print layout; instructions to typesetters and printers; commissioning articles; working with journalists; magazine design; working with graphic designers.

Students work with real copy and materials, typeset galleys, layout boards and illustrations to produce their own news magazine.

Radio Journalism
This course develops skills in several areas of radio journalism. It provides experience in producing news bulletins, interviews and magazine programs.  Topics covered include: radio news styles; writing and re-writing radio copy; on-the-road reporting; interviewing; actuality; tape editing and production; news reading; voice production; current affairs; live crosses; editing complete bulletins. Experience is gained on broadcast-quality equipment.

Television Journalism
Provides knowledge and skills needed to gain employment as journalists in the Australian television industry.  Topics include: newsroom operations and responsibilities; deadlines; voice production; writing for television; interview techniques and organisation; microphone techniques; camera crew and equipment; working to camera; story ideas and story lines; shooting the story; outside locations; principles of editing; post-production; working in the studio; showreel assembly and grooming and personal presentation;. Practical work involves use of professional crew and equipment in both outside locations, studios and professional editing facilities.

Broadcast Research and Production
A subject exclusive to the Macleay journalism program. It provides the skills required for employment as researchers in television news, current affairs and ‘infotainment’ programs. Topics include: devising story ideas, story outlines and interview questions; researching locations, background information and talent.

Video Journalism
Video journalism is a rapidly growing field in both online news websites and mainstream television news networks. Video journalists operate the video camera, record their own pieces to camera and voice-over scripts, and edit the recorded material to produce complete news reports. This course trains students in all these skills, including handling digital cameras and editing stories on desktop software.

Photo Journalism
A subject in both the principles and techniques of taking photographs for publication in newspapers and magazines.  Topics include: the newsworthy qualities of photographs; how to take photographs to accompany magazine articles; assignment briefing; selecting the right camera; lighting; speed; developing; proofing; making prints; presentation; marketing.

Public Relations
A subject designed to give students an additional career option which complements the skills they have developed as journalists.  Topics include: the writing of news releases, the production of newsletters and company newspapers and magazines; handling media conferences; designing and conducting public relations campaigns; the roles and functions of independent PR agents.

Computer Layout
Provides hands-on experience to develop competence in the principal computer-based layout and typographic systems used in editorial publishing including Quark Xpress and InDesign.  Topics include: planning a document; working with electronic text, graphic and picture files; creating and modifying electronic style sheets; working with electronic chapter files; laying out documents; creating and modifying electronic publication files.

Keyboarding/Word Processing
This course is designed to develop professionally-acceptable typing speed and standards. Instruction is by professionally-trained teachers and practise is provided by a computer-based training system. The course also covers standards expected in the presentation of copy and manuscripts.

Experience in preparing copy on electronic systems is now widely expected in the publishing industry. The college provides instruction and practise in the use of one of the standard commercial word processing packages. Skills developed include: entering and formatting data, saving files, spelling check, printing.

Shorthand
The college teaches shorthand over four terms. Students are expected to attain professional levels of expertise, suitable for court and parliamentary reporting. The course begins with instruction in shorthand theory and progresses to speed classes.

Media Law
A study of essential law for journalists and editors in print and electronic media.  Topics include: defamation; privilege; court reporting; parliamentary reporting; copyright; privacy; offensive and obscene material; freedom of information; broadcasting law and regulations.

Job Seeking and Career Planning
This subject studies the range of employment opportunities available throughout the journalism industry and encourages students to set personal career goals.  Skills developed include: job application letters and telephone calls; professional resumes; job interview techniques; personal job search campaigns; long-term career orientation

Click on the arrow to see course overview.

Location: Level 1, 175 Liverpool Street, Sydney, 2000 Postal Address: PO Box 433, Paddington NSW 2021 Australia Telephone, local: (02) 9360 2033 Fax: (02) 9331 7368 Telephone, international: 61 2 9360 2033 Fax: 61 2 9331 7368
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