Core Module: Global Perspectives on Journalism
Postgraduate
MA
International Journalism for Digital Media
Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology
Attendance
Full-time
Part-time
Course
One year
Three year
Next enrolment
September 2022
In a nutshell
From the BBC’s ‘Breaking News’ stories shared on social media to Al Jazeeras podcasts published on their website – Foreign Correspondence professionals are taking advantage of digital technology to reach diversifying audiences.
On this course, through either full-time or part-time study, you’ll learn how to think and act like an international journalist.
Applicants from different walks of life join our course: you don’t have to be a journalism or media course graduate. Just show your engagement with news, experience in journalism or passion for reporting and we will be delighted to offer you a place once you have met all other criteria such as English language proficiency as set for your course.
Sign-up for an Open Day, attend a campus tour, or follow us on Twitter and read real news created by our students #JournalismAtSalford.
Continue reading to understand more about this MA International Journalism for Digital Media course.
International students: Due to high volumes of applications and visa processing requirements we are currently not accepting any new applications to our master’s courses from international students. For courses starting in 2023-24, please keep checking our deadlines page to find out when we will start accepting applications.
You will:
- Study at our MediaCity campus, which is the media hub of the north, home to the BBC and ITV northern headquarters
- Be mentored by our well-connected and experienced broadcast and digital journalism practitioners
- Experience a real-life environment of digital newsrooms, and use our state-of-the-art TV and radio studios
- Explore specialisms such as foreign affairs, health and science reporting, business and finance writing or data journalism
- Network with industry through our special events and live brief journalism projects
- Once graduated, have a MA diploma, the option to gain an NCTJ accreditation and an industry-grade professional portfolio
Placement
options available
International
students accepted
On this course you could gain a NCTJ accreditation
This is for you if...
1.
You’re looking to gain practical experience, explore international journalism specialisms, or learn online journalism skills.
2.
You’re acting on pursuing your true passion for journalism and intend on changing your career or switching sectors.
3.
You need to study flexibly, as with our part-time option you can complete this postgraduate degree within three years.
All about the course
Studying on this MA International Journalism for Digital Media course you’ll learn the key skills needed to succeed on this postgraduate course.
Throughout this postgraduate course, our well-connected lecturers will arrange for you to interact with industry through guest lectures, events such as Nations and Regions: Media Future and facilitated workshops.
Our optional modules will give you the opportunity to explore one of three specialisms, whether that’s Specialist Journalism Practice, Sports Journalism or a Community Project.
You’ll be supported by your module tutors and will undertake a work placement within the journalism community of practice. In certain cases, international students may be able to undertake this work placement in their home country.
In the final semester, your focus will be on your Major Project, which gives you the option to deliver a dissertation or journalistic practice-as-research project.
Gain a deeper understanding of what you’ll explore within each module below.
Full-time: semester one
The module will examine the role of journalism in the world of digital media and the challenges for media organisations to adjust to the new technologies and working practices. From the birth of citizen journalism to the ‘death of the newsroom’, each week will look in detail at a current ethical, legal, editorial or industry issue and put it in an international context. During accompanying workshops, you will test the established principles of journalism in new global situations induced by the technological revolution and new working practices.
Core Module: Digital Journalism
In this module you will explore the technologies and solutions that have altered the nature and the practice of journalism this century. You will look at the dangers and opportunities afforded by social media, open source technologies, digital interactivity and new platforms for media content creation. You will create your own media projects testing new software and applications used in digital journalism to produce multimedia content rigorously observing fundamental principles in journalism.
Full-time: semester two
Core Module: Journalism Practice in a Multimedia Newsroom
Latest surveys show that editors still expect solid core journalistic skills: the ability to write tight, accurate copy, to assess and verify sources and information, and to tackle complex stories within challenging timeframes. This module will practically teach exactly that: to be able to operate in any newsroom environment as part of a fast-paced team, and to assume a range of roles in creating quality content to a narrowly defined brief. We will take you through a series of newsdays in different formats, generating stories for radio, TV and online.
One option from elective modules:
Specialist Journalism Practice
This module will concentrate on several specialisms valued by employers: international affairs and politics, business and finance, social affairs, health and science, and photojournalism. It will focus on building practical and professional portfolios and on setting up foundations for Major Project practice-as-research in semester three. The last four weeks of the module will be field work in a chosen specialism.
Community Project
After five weeks spent on learning about journalism in the community and testing the power of social media, you will embed yourself in a community of your choice, or become an intern to work for an institution or organisation on a project designed during the workshops. You will develop or run a community website, contribute to a radio station or newspaper, provide hyperlocal news and services, or get involved in a campaign testing your journalistic skills and competencies. The content generated by you will support and boost community organisations, charities or local media initiatives. This practical work experience will also build your professional portfolio.
Sports Journalism
The exciting field of sports journalism encompasses everything from football matches and rugby games to global Olympic events. In this elective module, you will learn essentials skills for writing clear and concise sports copy, interviewing players and officials, and producing match reports for print and online sports publications.
Full-time: semester three
Major Project
You will complete either a traditional academic dissertation or a ‘practice as research’ project. This allows you to demonstrate your in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subject and showcase your advanced skills in research and critical analysis and evaluation.
Part-time: Year one. semester one and two
Core Module: Global Perspectives on Journalism
The module will examine the role of journalism in the world of digital media and the challenges for media organisations to adjust to the new technologies and working practices. From the birth of citizen journalism to the ‘death of the newsroom’, each week will look in detail at a current ethical, legal, editorial or industry issue and put it in an international context. During accompanying workshops, you will test the established principles of journalism in new global situations induced by the technological revolution and new working practices.
Core Module: Journalism Practice in a Multimedia Newsroom
Latest surveys show that editors still expect solid core journalistic skills: the ability to write tight, accurate copy, to assess and verify sources and information, and to tackle complex stories within challenging timeframes. This module will practically teach exactly that: to be able to operate in any newsroom environment as part of a fast-paced team, and to assume a range of roles in creating quality content to a narrowly defined brief. We will take you through a series of newsdays in different formats, generating stories for radio, TV and online.
Part-time: Year two. semester one and semester two
Core Module: Digital Journalism
In this module you will explore the technologies and solutions that have altered the nature and the practice of journalism this century. You will look at the dangers and opportunities afforded by social media, open source technologies, digital interactivity and new platforms for media content creation. You will create your own media projects testing new software and applications used in digital journalism to produce multimedia content rigorously observing fundamental principles in journalism.
And one option from:
Specialist Journalism Practice
This module will concentrate on several specialisms valued by employers: international affairs and politics, business and finance, social affairs, health and science, and photojournalism. It will focus on building practical and professional portfolios and on setting up foundations for Major Project practice-as-research in semester three. The last four weeks of the module will be field work in a chosen specialism.
Community Project
After five weeks spent on learning about journalism in the community and testing the power of social media, you will embed yourself in a community of your choice, or become an intern to work for an institution or organisation on a project designed during the workshops. You will develop or run a community website, contribute to a radio station or newspaper, provide hyperlocal news and services, or get involved in a campaign testing your journalistic skills and competencies. The content generated by you will support and boost community organisations, charities or local media initiatives. This practical work experience will also build your professional portfolio.
Sports Journalism
The exciting field of sports journalism encompasses everything from football matches and rugby games to global Olympic events. In this elective module, you will learn essentials skills for writing clear and concise sports copy, interviewing players and officials, and producing match reports for print and online sports publications.
Part-time: Year three
Major Project
You will complete either a traditional academic dissertation or a ‘practice as research’ project. This allows you to demonstrate your in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subject and showcase your advanced skills in research and critical analysis and evaluation.
Please note that it may not be possible to deliver the full list of options every year as this will depend on factors such as how many students choose a particular option. Exact modules may also vary in order to keep content current. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this programme, you should be aware that not all optional modules will be running each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.
Teaching Staff
Marek Bekerman, Programme Leader
After more than 20 years with BBC Global News, Marek Bekerman joined the University of Salford as lecturer in International and Radio Journalism to become programme leader for MA International and Online Journalism in 2014. He had worked as broadcast journalist, news and current affairs editor and producer for a range BBC World Service radio programmes before going into journalism training and media development work for the BBC on overseas assignments in the Former Soviet Union, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East.
Learn more or Explore the Journalism faculty at the University of Salford.
JOURNALISM FACILITIES
Our MediaCityUK facilities are industry-standard, so much so that they are used by our industry partners themselves.
When you study a postgraduate Journalism degree with us, you’ll learn from our experienced tutors and demonstrators, who’ll teach you how to use our facilities. These include:
TV News studio - a state of the art news set, including three HD cameras with teleprompters. This studio also can link up to the other two TV studios in the building based on the ground floor, enabling live feeds.
TV studios - our TV studios have been used by the BBC for a variety of broadcasts, such as the Olympics and Christmas music concerts, and they’re equipped with the same audio-visual systems used by the ITV and Sky too.
The studios have green screen facilities as well as basic props so you can design and build sets for a range of projects.
Newsroom - you’ll use this space as a hub to simulate a full working day in a newsroom, covering breaking stories. Software available includes Avid iNews, Avid NewsCutter, Adobe Audition and QuarkXPress, all of which is used by the industry.
Radio studios - we can offer you three cutting edge studios which have been used for live contributions to shows on talkSPORT and Capital.
Finishing and editing suites - these allow you to learn and excel in all elements of post-production work. They feature 4K monitors and 5.1 surround sound systems, so you can pick out all details of your work as you create your masterpiece, as well as all the software you’ll need and use when you start your career.
Explore our Journalism facilities at the University of Salford
BE A PART OF A CREATIVE, SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY
All our Journalism courses are delivered by the Salford School of Arts, Media, and Creative Technology. Our focus is to ensure that you have the skills you need to pursue your dreams, and we encourage our students, past and present, to collaborate with each other and achieve great things.
Each year - through the Create Student Awards – our School rewards the incredible achievements and successes of our final year and postgraduate students.
Whatever you choose to study with us, you’ll be mentored and supported by experts. And once you graduate, it won’t end there. You’ll join a thriving alumni network across Greater Manchester and beyond, meaning you’ll be supported professionally and personally whenever you need it.
What about after uni?
EMPLOYMENT
Graduates of our Digital Journalism masters can enter careers in various forms of journalism, including print, broadcast or online. You could work in reporting or management roles, public relations, research, or media analysis, both in this country or abroad. As a journalist, you could work as a UK-based foreign correspondent travelling abroad or full-time in overseas postings.
As well as that, during your time studying, you’ll build a portfolio of work that can be shared with potential employers, as well as develop a number of highly sought-after transferrable skills. Employers are always interested in candidates with strong research, development and delivery skills, as well as the ability to present ideas to a professional standard, all of which you will have used during your studies.
We’ve seen graduates from this course go on to do incredible things in their careers, including one graduate who is a TV anchor on a national TV channel in Indonesia, and another who runs a high-profile news website on the polar regions and Arctic marine life, regularly travelling on icebreakers with North Pole and Antarctic expeditions.
FURTHER STUDY
Graduates showing strong academic and research skills can pursue a further academic research path through our doctoral (PhD) programmes on a full-time or part-time basis subject to a satisfactory proposal.
Career Links
This course is based at MediaCity, with the BBC and ITV studios next door, and our students benefit from the strong relationships that our journalism courses have developed with the regional press as well as local radio and TV stations over the years. Our links with media education establishments abroad and with international organisations and global media outlets keep our graduates in touch with the pulse of the industry and up to date with the latest trends to keep them at the top of employability in the media sector.
What you need to know
Once you have graduated and gone into the open world of the highly competitive media environment, the skills and practical knowledge gained in the course of the study can not only open doors to jobs in journalisms, but be an eye-opener to new opportunities.
Our graduates have not only upscaled their careers but sometimes ended up in jobs they never dreamed of. One of our graduates is a TV anchor on a national TV channel n Indonesia, while another one runs a high-profile news website on the polar regions and the Artic marine life while travelling on icebreakers with North Pole and Antractic expeditions. It seems that the possibilities in the realm of the media can be endless in an international context – something increasingly recognized by UK-based students who are joining our course in ever-increasing numbers.
One of the job clinchers generate by our course will be your portfolio of journalistic work to showcase your skills and abilities in front of an interviewer or prospective employer.
You can also explore various forms of journalism (print, broadcast or online) either in reporting or management roles, public relations, researchers, media analysts and advisers all either working in this country or abroad. Journalists could work as UK-based foreign correspondents travelling abroad or full-time in overseas postings.
10 questions to help you prepare your International Journalism personal statement
Some experts say that journalism is about asking the right questions to the right people at the right time. Here are the questions for you at application time:
- Do you have a passion for journalism, and can you demonstrate it?
- Why do you want to be a journalist and where do you want to work in the future?
- Who is your journalistic role model and why?
- What experience do you already have in journalism?
- What is the best piece of journalism you have produced so far? (if you can, provide a link).
- Are you engaged with news and current affairs in an international dimension?
- What are the key issues affecting journalism right now?
- How will the media industry change in the years ahead and what role do you hope to play?
- Why do you want to study at the University of Salford?
- What aspects of our course appeal to you and why do you think it is right for you?
Standard entry requirements
Standard entry requirements
You'll need a good honours degree (2:1 or above).
International students
If you are an international student and not from a majority English speaking country, you will need IELTS 7.0, with a written element of 8.0 and no element below 6.0, is proof of this. We accept qualifications from all around the world. Find your country to see a full list of entry requirements.
We also accept a range of other English language qualifications. If you do not have the English language requirements, you could take our Pre-Sessional English course.
Alternative entry requirements
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
We welcome applications from students who may not have formal/traditional entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully.
The Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process could help you to make your work and life experience count. The APL process can be used for entry onto courses or to give you exemptions from parts of your course.
Two forms of APL may be used for entry: the Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) or the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).
How much?
| Type of study | Year | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time home | 2022/23 | £8,280per year |
| Full-time international | 2022/23 | £15,345per year |
| Part-time | 2022/23 | Part time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis |
| Full-time home | 2023/24 | £8,550per year |
| Full-time international | 2023/24 | £15750per year |
| Part-time | 2023/24 | Part time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis |
Additional costs
You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits.
Scholarships for international students
We have a range of attractive scholarships for international students. This includes:
Global Gold Excellence Scholarship - automatic discount of £3,500 for eligible students with a first-class degree.
Global Silver Excellence Scholarship - automatic discount of £3,000 for eligible students with at least a lower second-class degree (2:2).