Journalistic Language (English) MCOM-5109

UNIVERSITY OF SARGODHA

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES

COURSE OUTLINE                                                                                                  Spring 2021

Course Title: Journalistic Language (English)

Course Code: MCOM 5109

Credit Hours: 03

Instructor: UMM-e-HABIBA

Email: [email protected]

DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

The language of journalism is a fascinating field to be analyzed because it offers a challenging outlook on its subtitles and power in each journalistic genre. The study of journalistic language helps to understand how journalists create their stories or reports, shape points of view; deliver expected news; and how media language is different from other languages we encounter. Investigating, interviewing and fact-checking activities are basic components of journalism, transmitted to media consumers, to inform, persuade as well as reinforce public beliefs, using manipulation techniques through language. The journalistic purpose is writing for newspapers, magazines, or new media. All categories of media professionals have the fundamental mission to learn and practice their language as specialists with all linguistic nuances required in their profession. The course tends to articulate the basic concepts of journalistic communication skills. It will focus on improving linguistic and communicative strategies. Further, it will familiarize students with the most common words, idioms, and metaphors of the language used in the media. It will also help to develop reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills as associated with media topics and to raise student's awareness of how language choices influence meanings in the media.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

  • Language and journalism                                                   John E. Richardson
  • Journalism and free speech                                               John Steel
  • News talk: Investigating the language of journalism          Colleen Cotter
  • The language of journalism; A multi-genre perspective     Michael Higgins & Angela K. Smith

Week

Topics

1.

Introduction to journalistic writing

2.

The language of newspaper, radio and television

3.

The process of writing

4.

Writing Skills; words structure and sentence formation

5.

Parts of speech, active and passive voices, punctuation

6.

Paragraph writing techniques

7.

Simple listing paragraphs, time order paragraphs, multiple composition paragraphs

9.

The Writing styles: Expository and report writing, descriptive and narrative writing

10.

Summarizing and précis writing

11.

Broadcast and web news writing

12.

Editorial writing

13.

Feature writing

14.

Column writing & letters to editor

15.

Writing press releases, reviews, and obituaries

16.

The art of interviewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Sessional:        20 marks

                        (Attendance+ Assignments)

Mid:                30 marks

Final exam:     50 marks

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Following are the rules and regulations that students have to abide by:

  • 80% of class attendance is compulsory to sit in the final exam.
  • Class timing should be strictly followed.
  • Assignments and presentations must be covered in the given time.
  • Originality of work would be ensured in case of assignments.

Time Table

Monday & Tuesday

BS-IV (R) - 8:00 am-9:30 am

BS-IV (SS) - 3:30 pm- 5:00 pm

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