James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2021

JN2011 - Communication Law and Ethics: Writing for the Digital World

Subject Description

This subject focuses on the impact of digital culture and new medial on reading, writing and ethical practices, as well as research methodologies in the field of communication and the mass media. It emphasises the development of writing and production skills across a variety of media, including social media. It develops print, audio, screen and online literacies that address the many challenges and complexities of composing ethical, responsible and even critical arguments in the 21st century.

Learning Outcomes

• practice those styles and formats and be able to write in a variety of media formats and genres for specific audiences
• critically discuss factors that impact media writing and media careers including media law and ethics, economic issues, audiences, social media, traditional media standards and new media
• analyse and discuss multiple roles of writing in multimedia production
• apply skills in writing using the different styles and formats encountered as a multimedia writer/practitioner

Subject Assessment

• Participation > Class participation - (20%) - Individual
• Written > Media article - (30%) - Individual
• Performance/Practice/Product > Multimedia production - (50%) - Individual

Note that minor variations might occur due to the continuous subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.

Assumed Knowledge:  Students do not need prior technological skills to be successful in this subject but they need to be prepared to explore and engage with a variety of multimodal authoring technologies such as audio and video editing software, blogs, wikis and other applications. They will be trained in writing for the Web and will develop additional skills in data visualisation design photography etc. Some of these skills would have been picked up in other subjects offered in the Multimedia Journalism and Writing major.

Availabilities