Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)

Study Course Description

Editor’s Work in Press and Other Mass Media

Main Study Course Information

Course Code

KSK_028

Branch of Science

Media and communications

ECTS

3.00

Target Audience

Communication Science

LQF

Level 6

Study Type And Form

Full-Time

Study Course Implementer

Course Supervisor

Anna Peipiņa

Structure Unit Manager

Ieva Puzo

Structural Unit

Faculty of Social Sciences

Contacts

Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv

About Study Course

Objective

The course will provide an overview of the nature and functions of editor’s work in mass media, create an understanding of differences in this work depending on the type and size of media. When mastering the course, students will familiarise with principles of planning of editor’s work and competences and work methods of the editor as a leader and as a manager. Students will profoundly familiarise with understanding the editor’s work in the media world affected by significant changes and digitalisation. Course tasks: 1. By listening to lectures and participating in practical seminar classes to understand the nature of work of an editor as a creative leader and at the same time as a manager, to become aware of typical problems in editor’s work. 2. To familiarise with principles of planning of media work, to understand its meaning in maintaining media quality and correct strategy. 3. To understand the specifics of daily work, understand the editor’s role in creating media content and in work with journalists. 4. To understand the editor’s role in evaluation and editing of texts, work with genres, as well as harmonising of text and visual material. 5. During the course, to perform practical tasks related to editor’s work.

Preliminary Knowledge

Genres of journalism. News journalism. Introduction to journalism.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

1.On successful completion of the study course students will gain understanding about: • the nature of duties and skills of an editor as a media manager and a creative employee, about the editor’s place in the media management system; • editor’s responsibility, activities in media shaping, planning and daily management process; • different types of editors and practical editing work.

Skills

1.As a result of successful mastering the study course students will obtain skills: • to design, plan, organise building of a media format; • to plan media content; • to edit different journalism works adjusting them to the needs of particular media; • to shape and organise work of an editorial office, to create plans with different deadlines; • to change genres of journalism works; • to find headings, to create a balanced and proportionate media content.

Competences

1.On successful completion of the study course students will obtain the ability to choose and understand creative and management problems of an editorial office.

Assessment

Individual work

Title	% from total grade	Grade
1. Individual work	-	-
Within the scope of the course the student should write four practical seminar works, which should be presented at seminars (for detailed requirements see the List of topics).

Examination

Title	% from total grade	Grade
1. Examination	-	10 points
Qualitative practical works submitted in a timely manner on lecture topics and their presentation, attendance of lectures, active participation in practical classes and theoretical examination results.

Study Course Theme Plan

FULL-TIME

Part 1

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Nature of editor’s works and its functions in different media. Comparison of editor’s and journalist’s work. Editor’s role in public media. Editor as an intermediate stage between the editorial office and the publisher, editor’s independence and subordination. Editor’s functions and degree of responsibility depending on the type of media.

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Editor as a leader and as a manager. Successful management models. Manager or leader? Editor’s ability to build a team and keep it creative, maintain quality and healthy internal competition. Conflict resolution. Tactics with regard to “stars” in the editorial office.

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Study room	2

Topics

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Strategic and daily planning of work of the editorial office. Types of plans depending on the type of media and publication frequency. Correct leading of a planning meeting. Planning and creativity of ideas. Special planning, brainstorming.

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Study room	2

Topics

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Foundations and principles of editing. Editing process. Format and editing of an edition. Author’s work and right to edit. Work with genres, sections, topics. Headings, subheadings, quotes, highlights. Style and language. Overview of examples.

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Study room	2

Topics

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Editor’s role in visual presentation of an article and media. Meaning of content of visual material. Problems of harmonising an articles and visual material. Role of the cover of a press edition. Work with photographers, use of photobanks.

Lecture

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Editor and his role in the quickly changing media world. How to edit in press market changes under the effect of digitalisation keeping the professional level and quality of the edition. Editor and media marketing.

Class/Seminar

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Editor and media strategy. Task – to prepare for a seminar a draft application for a new media (newspaper, TV or radio show, magazine, portal), where the student would be the editor. Brief overview of content. Rationale, for which audience, with which existing media it will compete and what the media budget plan will be. During the seminar students present their projects for 5 to 7 min.

Class/Seminar

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Editor’s work with text. Task – to edit highlighted text samples: shorten to the accurately specified volume, find 2 factual errors, 5 gross spelling mistakes, write an introduction, heading and highlight two quotes.

Class/Seminar

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Study room	2

Topics

Class/Seminar

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Editor’s role in visual presentation of a publication or media. Task – in the material provided by the university lecturer, find an appropriate visual material for the text selected by each student in accordance with media format and publication genre. Its choice should be substantiated in a presentation at a seminar (5 min).

Class/Seminar

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Auditorium	2

Topics

Editor as a leader and as a manager. Task – to evaluate and analyse examples of challenges in media work and editing work provided by the university lecturer. To offer solutions, to evaluate risks.

Class/Seminar

Modality	Location	Contact hours
On site	Study room	2

Topics

Editor as a leader and as a manager. Task – to evaluate and analyse examples of challenges in media work and editing work provided by the university lecturer. To offer solutions, to evaluate risks.

Total ECTS (Creditpoints):

3.00

Contact hours:

30 Academic Hours

Final Examination:

Exam (Written)

Bibliography

Required Reading

Glen Gilmore, Modern Newspaper Editing, 4th ed. 1999

Hutcherson Early, Writing For Mass Communication, Longman, 1998

Fedler Fred, Reporting For The Print Media, 1997

Baskett K. Floyd, Scissors Z. Jack, Brooks S. Brian, The Art of Editing, 4 th ed., 1998

Hartley, John.Understanding news.London:Routledge. 1982.

Manning Paul. News and news sources: A critical introduction.London. Sagepublications.1998

Juan Antonio Giner, Barry Sussman, Innovations in newspapers, 2001 Worldreport, 4. – 9. pp.

Tapani Huovila, Layout as message, University of Jyvaskla, 2000,

Tim Harrower, The Newspaper Designer’s Handbook, 3th edition, 1995,

10.

Poynter Online, nodala Writing, Editing:http://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2003/writing-news-online/

11.

Eriks Bagerstams, Preses briviba demokratiska sabiedriba, Stockholm och Riga,Etikas kodekss presei, radio un televizijai Zviedrija, 1994, 23. – 55. lpp.

Additional Reading

Hodgson, F.W., Modern Newspaper Practice: A primer on the press. 4 th edition,Oxford, Focal Press, 1997, 227. – 244. lpp.

Ferguson Donald L., Patten Jim, Journalism Today, Chapter IX, In – DepthReporting, Chapter X , Writing Feature Stories,1996, 162. – 194.lpp..

Sallie Adams, Interviewing for Journalists, New York, 2002, 20. – 55. lpp.

Tatjana Repkova, New Times – Making a professional newspaper, Chapter II, WAN,2001, 126. – 139. lpp.

Ryan, C, Strugling to Survive, A Study of Editorial Decision-Making Strategies,Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Vol. 19 No. 3 July 2005, 353-376

Melvin Mencher, Basic Media Writting, 5 th edition, Madison, Brown 7 Bencmark Publishers, 1996, 24. – 53. lpp.

Editor’s Work in Press and Other Mass Media

Main Study Course Information

Study Course Implementer

About Study Course

Objective

Preliminary Knowledge

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

Skills

Competences

Assessment

Individual work

Examination

Study Course Theme Plan

Lecture

Topics

Lecture

Topics

Lecture

Topics

Lecture

Topics

Lecture

Topics

Lecture

Topics

Lecture

Topics

Lecture

Topics

Lecture

Topics

Class/Seminar

Topics

Class/Seminar

Topics

Class/Seminar

Topics

Class/Seminar

Topics

Class/Seminar

Topics

Class/Seminar

Topics

Bibliography

Required Reading

Additional Reading