Handbook

This course is concerned with the skills required to produce and critically analyse the longer, more in-depth forms of journalism known by such labels as “feature” and “documentary”. The course will focus on these longer forms as they operate in newspapers, magazines, radio and online, and how they vary according to subject matter – i.e. according to whether they are concerned with current affairs and social issues, or with arts and entertainment or lifestyle and leisure topics. The course will also provide students with an understanding of what is typically involved in the preparation of features and documentaries – e.g. how they are conceived, how they may require the cultivation of appropriate “contacts”, and the types of research and interviewing usually employed. In the process of developing these practical skills, students will also explore concepts and theoretical frameworks for critically analyzing how these texts work communicatively.