This course will prepare you to research and produce long-form journalism for online, radio and television. It includes all the steps of the process from research and production across multiplatforms, to making a pitch, the commissioning process, costing and budgets.
How you're taught
Study methods and assessment
Study methods include lectures, seminars, individual tutorials, screenings, production workshops, presentation and peer review, combined with a programme of visiting industry practitioners.
You'll undertake a minimum of three weeks of placements. Placement opportunities may include radio, television, interactive, or digital storytelling within a media concern of your choice. Activities may include research and development for a documentary in pre-production or shadowing a documentary editor in a facilities house. Students sometimes do placements at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival, which runs nearby every June. This is a must for any student of documentary, and the biggest festival of its kind in the UK.
You'll be assessed by a mixture of portfolio work, essays and exams as well as producing a final project of a finished documentary of your choice.
Notts TV
Notts TV is one of 19 new local TV stations awarded a 12-year licence to broadcast on Freeview channel 8, Sky 117, and Virgin 159. We're home to the station's news output, which produces two hours of news every weeknight.
Uniquely MA Documentary Journalism students may have the chance to work with the station and take part in work placements.
Careers and employability
Your career development
The teaching team are all from industry and have backgrounds in award-winning documentary production and reportage. Employability is a key focus of the course, and you will meet commissioning editors and documentary producers within the field. You will work with live commissioning briefs wherever possible and will be encouraged to pitch ideas to documentary and other festivals during your course. The MA is designed to enhance you future career in documentary journalism across a range of platforms and outlets, terrestrial or online.
Facilities
Journalism facilities
Our award-winning range of journalism courses are based in the Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism, centrally placed on our City site. This multimillion pound development includes one of the largest student newsrooms in the UK, a fully functioning TV studio with production facilities and three radio studios.
TV Studio
This provides:
- six high definition SDI cameras incorporating pedestals;
- live weather green screen;
- a studio news set with back video projection; and
- automated newsroom reading system (autocue).
TV Production / Viewing Gallery
This is a dedicated production facility incorporating:
- live multi-channel audio mixing desk;
- digital high definition vision mixer; and
- operation stations including Director (with access to multi-functional communications system), a Production Assistant (accessing automated programme time counts), Autocue Controller (synchronising camera on-screen prompts in live TV studio), Play-out Operator (responsible for queuing and output of pre-record and news packages).
Newsroom
This provides:
- 96 work stations including two hydraulic work stations for disability access;
- a specialised production facility for television, radio, print, magazine and online news production;
- integrated 1GB network system;
- Adobe Master Collection software (continual updates to latest versions);
- multi-screen workstations;
- newsroom live production points, live links to external camera feeds;
- live news feeds Independent Radio News feed; and
- Press Association Feed.
Three radio studios
The radio news production facilities incorporate:
- one larger studio with six-microphone hex desk (used for multi-presenter panel debates);
- fully sound proofed with acoustic isolated floating floor system;
- news production consoles;
- automated newsroom reading system (autocue);
- a three-presenter news desk;
- automated live bulletin recorder;
- audio news package play-out system (BPM);
- real-time audio monitoring for newsroom;
- convergence systems for online platforms; and
- two voice-over recording cubicles.
Student technical resources
Free hire of broadcast equipment that can be used on location including:
- 70 wide screen digital video cameras;
- high definition cameras;
- video camera kits including balance line, microphone, Sony Pro headphones, Manfrotto Pro floating tripod system;
- over 60 digital audio recorders (digital Marantz recorders); and
- over 40 digital still cameras and production lighting equipment.
Photographic production area
This includes:
- a pull-down white Cyclorama curtain;
- three point lighting system;
- soft and hard lighting;
- white defusing tent for photographing smaller objects (for print magazines); and
- 50mm lenses.
Technical support
The Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism production facilities have a dedicated team of six friendly and experienced engineers. They provide constant technical support and training for students and update and create systems that mirror the latest innovations in industry.
Books and library resources
In our library you will have access to an extensive and diverse range of books, periodicals and other resources that focus on specialist areas within Broadcast Journalism.
IT resources
Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City site, with PCs providing access to:
- Microsoft Office;
- email;
- web browsing;
- networked file storage; and
- high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student).
Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.
