Overview
This unit examines how modern journalism operates in a rapidly evolving media environment. Students will analyse contemporary journalistic practices across traditional and social platforms, while evaluating credibility, ethics, and the shifting role of news in a digital age. The unit explores technological, social, and cultural trends influencing news production and consumption, enabling students to interpret and compare processes across diverse contexts. Through assessments that include critical essays, comparative analyses, and reflective tasks, students will investigate patterns of news reporting and ethical dilemmas impacting both practitioners and audiences. By the end of the unit, students will become critical consumers of news media, aware of the media's role in shaping public opinion, and the ethical obligations of news industries and journalists to produce reliable, verifiable information for audiences.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Minimum of 36 credit points
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit Coordinator Self-reflection
Asynchronous content that supports self-paced learners and increases teacher presence would be useful
Produce instructive pre-recorded overviews for weekly topics to support self-directed learners and enhance teacher presence online
Feedback from Unit Coordinator Self-reflection
The revised structure and content of the unit emphasised the impact of real-life issues on contemporary culture and journalistic practice
Continue to update resources with current affairs and breaking news to ensure content is fresh, dynamic and remains relevant to students' experiences.