Journalism: Principles and Practices
UndergraduateUSA-COMM10882025
Course information for 2025 intake
Enrol today with instant approval and no entry requirements
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 30 Mar 2025
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Start dates
- 7 Apr 2025,
- 22 Sept 2025
- Price from
- $2,300
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Journalism: Principles and Practices
About this subject
By the end of this 10-week course, you’ll be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the role and purpose of journalism in western liberal democratic societies.
- Develop and apply journalism knowledge and practical skills to source, research, interview for, and write an original public interest feature.
- Identify key legal and ethical obligations associated with journalism.
- Critically analyse issues in contemporary journalism and construct researched and reasoned arguments on such issues.
- Apply the principles of clear, grammatical written expression in accordance with the program's style guide and academic writing and referencing requirements.
- Introduction – What is Journalism?
- Journalism – Origins and Development: From message sticks to constructive journalism
- Story Ideas; Where and How to Research
- Interviewing For Story
- Writing and structuring public interest features
- Media Trust and Ethical Journalism
- Journalism and The Law
- Journalism Norms and Values
- Specialist Journalism – Reporting colonisation 1
- pecialist Journalism – Reporting colonisation 2
This course introduces you to the role, place, power, and practice of the western, liberal democratic model of journalism. It aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to produce original works of public interest journalism. You will develop an understanding and appreciation of the principles, practices, contexts, and issues of contemporary Australian journalism.
The course offers insights into the purpose and forms of journalism produced within a liberal and social-democratic system, examining its impact locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. It covers recent developments in the media and explores specialist and cross-cultural reporting, including journalism related to Aboriginal people. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of ethical journalistic practices and storytelling, learning essential skills such as story sourcing, researching, interviewing, and structuring and writing public interest feature stories.
UniSA Online’s 10-week short courses give you the flexibility to upskill in a certain area, stay current with developments in your field, diversify your knowledge, or even explore a new direction in your career – without having to commit to the time and cost of a full university degree.
This is a first-year course from UniSA Online’s Journalism degree.
Delivered 100% online, you’ll be able to study where and when it suits you. Access online academic and student support seven days a week, fit study around work and life commitments, view learning resources 24/7, and log in to the interactive online environment anywhere, any time and on any device.
Should your course have an exam it will be scheduled for Australian Central Standard Time or Australian Central Daylight Time, depending on the time of the year.
- Multiple (Professional plan, Media task) (65%)
- Essay (35%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Additional requirements
- Other requirements - Students must be aged 17 or older by the time teaching commences for their course of study, in accordance with UniSA’s Selection and entry to programs policy.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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