| CODE | MCS3140 | ||||||
| TITLE | Digital Content Creation | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Media and Communications | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit examines the intersection of journalism, digital media production, and participatory culture in the digital age. It explores the principles of digital storytelling, multimedia journalism, and content strategy for various platforms, considering both professional media organizations and user-generated content ecosystems. Key topics include: • The affordances and limitations of digital platforms for content creation and dissemination. • The transformation of the fourth estate in the digital age. • The role of social media platforms in news dissemination and citizen journalism. • Principles of multimedia storytelling (text, audio, video, and interactive media). • Ethical challenges in digital content creation (fact-checking, misinformation, and accountability). • Algorithmic influences on content visibility and engagement. • The economics of digital journalism and content monetization strategies. • The role of user-generated content and participatory media. • The role of algorithms, social media trends, and engagement metrics in shaping digital content. • The implications of platform governance and content moderation policies for journalists and content creators. • The challenges posed by misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation in digital content production. • The ethics of digital content creation, including issues related to privacy, intellectual property, and verification. Students will engage in both theoretical discussions and hands-on content production, developing competencies in digital storytelling, audience engagement, and media verification techniques. Study-Unit Aims: - Introduce students to the evolving landscape of digital journalism and content creation; - Equip students with practical and theoretical knowledge of digital content creation in journalism and media; - Provide students with an understanding of the economic, technological, and ethical frameworks that shape digital content ecosystems; - Develop students’ ability to critically analyse digital storytelling techniques, audience engagement strategies, and the role of social media algorithms; - Explore the implications of participatory culture, user-generated content, and citizen journalism for traditional media institutions; - Provide students with strategies to identify and combat misinformation and disinformation; - Explore the influence of algorithms and platform governance on the visibility and reach of digital content; - Encourage students to develop content that is ethical, fact-based, and critically aware of digital media affordances. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Be aware of the impact of digital technologies on journalism and media ecosystems; - Explain the key theories related to digital content creation, including media convergence and participatory culture; - Have knowledge of the relationship between digital platforms, journalism, and audience engagement; - Critically assess the impact of social media algorithms on content distribution and visibility; - Identify key ethical considerations in digital content creation, including misinformation, disinformation, and user-generated content; - Analyse case studies of digital content strategies employed by media organizations and independent content creators. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Plan, create, and publish digital content tailored to different media platforms; - Use digital tools for multimedia storytelling, including video editing, podcasting, and data visualisation; - Apply fact-checking and media verification techniques to assess content accuracy; - Analyse audience engagement metrics and refine content strategies accordingly; - Communicate effectively through digital media while maintaining professional and ethical standards; - Apply digital storytelling techniques for various platforms, including video, social media, and multimedia journalism; - Utilise analytics and engagement metrics to refine digital content strategies; - Critically evaluate the credibility and ethical considerations of digital content; - Develop multimedia content that is engaging, fact-based, and strategically designed for digital audiences; - Navigate platform policies and governance frameworks affecting digital journalism and content creation. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Chadwick, A. (2017). The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power. Oxford University Press; - Deuze, M. (2023). Media Life and Journalism in the Digital Age. Polity Press; - Grech, A. (2024). Young People & Information: A Manifesto. Second Edition. 3CL Foundation; - Hermida, A. (2021). Data Journalism and the Regeneration of News. Routledge; - Meese, J., & Hurcombe, E. (2022). Algorithmic Journalism and the Future of News Production. Routledge; - Napoli, P. M. (2019). Social Media and the Public Interest: Media Regulation in the Disinformation Age. Columbia University Press; - Verdegem, P. (2024). Understanding Data, Culture and Society. SAGE Publications, Ltd. (UK). Supplementary Readings: - Croteau, D., Hoynes, W., & Childres, C. (2022). Media/Society: Technology, Industries, Content, and Users. Sage Publications. - European Commission (2022). Guidelines for Teachers and Educators on Tackling Disinformation and Promoting Digital Literacy through Education and Training. Publications Office of the European Union. - European Commission (2022). Guidelines for Teachers and Educators on Tackling Disinformation and Promoting Digital Literacy through Education and Training. Publications Office of the European Union. - Grech, A. (Ed.) (2021). Media, Technology, and Education in a Post-Truth Society: From Fake News to the Death of Trust. Emerald Publishing. - Lindner, A. M., & Barnard, S. R. (2020). All Media Are Social. Taylor & Francis. - Newman, N. (2023). Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. - Rosen, D. (Ed.) (2022). The Social Media Debate: Unpacking the Social, Psychological, and Cultural Effects of Social Media. Routledge. - Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2017). Information Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policy Making. Council of Europe Report. - Zuboff, S. (2022). Surveillance Capitalism or Democracy? Organization Theory. NA: Any texts which are not available at the Main Library; will be ordered in due course. |
||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||
| LECTURER/S | |||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||