ALJ722 - Investigative and Narrative Journalism
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Matthew Ricketson |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 2-hour online seminar per week 1 x 2-hour on-campus seminar per week (recordings provided) |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | Approximately 2-hours of online learning tasks and discussions per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
Investigative and narrative journalism differ from news in their aim to not simply report the day's news but to dig into events and issues. They diverge in emphasis and presentation. Investigative journalism’s primary aim is to scrutinise those in positions of power and authority; narrative journalism’s primary aim is to tell a true story exploring events and issues in their complexity and people in their full humanity. The power inherent in investigative and narrative journalism throws up important, knotty issues. Is investigative journalism’s role simply to expose problems, or suggest solutions, or both? How do investigative journalists overcome obstacles like restrictive defamation and national security laws? How do they manage the fallout when they get something seriously wrong? For narrative journalists: how do they balance their need to maintain editorial independence with the closeness to key sources that comes from gaining the deep level of trust required to construct a work of narrative journalism? Are there limits to the kinds of narrative approach journalists can take when representing actual people and events? If practitioners present their long-form journalism in a narrative style, is it read as non-fiction or, because it reads like a novel, is it read as a novel?
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Critically analyse and explain the history, diversity and importance of investigative and narrative journalism, and their continuing relevance in the digital age | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO2 | Demonstrate skills in the researching of investigative and narrative journalism, including generating story ideas, working with data sets and developing and managing relationships with sources | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO3: Digital literacy GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO3 | Demonstrate skills in the structuring and writing of pieces of investigative and narrative journalism | GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO4 | Demonstrate an ability to negotiate legal and ethical issues arising in the use of a narrative approach in telling true stories, whether they are primarily investigative or narrative-driven | GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO5 | Apply concepts presented in the research literature to the analysis of investigative and narrative journalism | GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Investigative Briefing Paper or Academic Essay | 2500 words or equivalent | 50% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 2: Piece of Narrative Journalism or Academic Essay | 2500 words or equivalent | 50% | Information not yet available |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for ALJ722 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.