Edge Hill grabs the headlines with unique online journalism course

A unique, intensive programme to enable journalists and public relations professionals to broaden their skills into online technology has been launched by Edge Hill University.

Convergence Journalism is a short course of study aimed at practising print journalists whose role has widened to embrace electronic media.

Blending theory and practice, the course will give journalists a sound knowledge and practical experience of producing audio and video content for website and online facilities.

The programme, believed to be the only one of its kind, is built around two weeks of university-based tuition and ten weeks private study.

It has been devised as a response to far-reaching changes in the media industry where advances in technology demand a new breed of multi-skilled journalist.

The course, which starts in March, is also expected to be an excellent career progression route for new journalists and those working as press and public relations officers.

Angela Birchall, Programme Leader, said:

"The media industry is undergoing an unprecedented level of convergence, ranging from the proliferation of news-based websites to the advent of podcasts and video web-streaming. In order to compete in the current multi-media online workplace, the modern newspaper journalist has to embrace a new range of skills that enable them to operate across a range of news platforms.

"Research shows that the training and development of staff in these areas has not matched the pace of advances in technology. Many organisations are set to face intense shortages of competently trained journalists unless they plug this skills gap now."

Students will receive tuition from a team of specialist tutors and technical experts in Edge Hill University's state-of-the-art TV studio, newsroom and computer labs, using industry-standard software programmes.

Practical workshops and seminars will be underpinned by a series of theoretical lectures.

The course programme will include the principles of writing for the web, web page design, podcasts, blogs, video streaming, website downloads and website loading. The development of both radio and TV news into an online medium will also be covered, including scriptwriting, editing, newsgathering and building an audience. In addition, effective performance on microphone and on camera will come under the spotlight.

Students will spend two separate weeks studying at Edge Hill, one in March and another in May, each of which will be followed by five weeks of private study.

They will be assessed through a combination of coursework, which includes producing an audio and TV package for their organisation's website, and a final essay which explores and analyses the theoretical perspectives of convergence journalism in relation to that site.

The course will also set students on the road to a postgraduate qualification, providing academic credit at Masters level.

For further information on the course contact Marc Stanton, tel: 01695 584726 or Angela Birchall, tel: 01695 584828.