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Investigative and Solutions Journalism

General Information

Investigative journalism affects change by exposing injustice, holding power to account and presenting solutions to challenging social issues. This subject embraces the journalism research opportunities offered by the digital age and empowers students to apply these opportunities to rigorous, compelling reporting on public-interest matters and contemporary social issues. Students will explore a range of investigative methods, including advanced interviewing, social media reporting, using public records, freedom of information requests, data journalism, rounds reporting, verification and crowdsourcing. The subject will also teach students: investigative traditions, contexts and funding models; how to navigate complex ethical and legal issues; and how to create cross-platform stories and present information in both narrative and visual ways. The project-based assessment invites students to work collaboratively and individually on a public-interest investigation with strong solutions journalism elements and an emphasis on empowering communities, governments and organisations to generate meaningful change through the reporting process.

Academic unit: Faculty of Society & Design
Subject code: JOUR12-180
Subject title: Investigative and Solutions Journalism
Subject level: Undergraduate
Semester/Year: January 2021
Credit points: 10.000

Enrolment requirements

Requisites:

Nil

Assumed knowledge:

Assumed knowledge is the minimum level of knowledge of a subject area that students are assumed to have acquired through previous study. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they meet the assumed knowledge expectations of the subject. Students who do not possess this prior knowledge are strongly recommended against enrolling and do so at their own risk. No concessions will be made for students’ lack of prior knowledge.

Restrictions:

Nil

Assurance of learning

Assurance of Learning means that universities take responsibility for creating, monitoring and updating curriculum, teaching and assessment so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need for employability and/or further study.

At Bond University, we carefully develop subject and program outcomes to ensure that student learning in each subject contributes to the whole student experience. Students are encouraged to carefully read and consider subject and program outcomes as combined elements.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

Program Learning Outcomes provide a broad and measurable set of standards that incorporate a range of knowledge and skills that will be achieved on completion of the program. If you are undertaking this subject as part of a degree program, you should refer to the relevant degree program outcomes and graduate attributes as they relate to this subject.

Find your program

Subject Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject the learner will be able to:

  1. Evaluate a range of traditional and digital investigative methods and apply them to the development of a public-interest investigation.
  2. Develop a sustained research strategy and adapt to challenges to create a major individual or collaborative investigative report.
  3. Consider ethical and legal issues from a variety of perspectives and develop frameworks for best-practice reporting.
  4. Understand the theory, traditions and complex role of investigative journalism in the context of a fast-changing industry landscape, new funding models and new practice models, including solutions journalism.
  5. Generate a cross-platform investigate report in line with industry expectations.
  6. Harness a range of emerging and established digital tools to research, curate and present compelling and rigorous public-interest narratives.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in Assessment

The University acknowledges that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) tools are an important facet of contemporary life. Their use in assessment is considered in line with students’ development of the skills and knowledge which demonstrate learning outcomes and underpin study and career success. Instructions on the use of Gen-AI are given for each assessment task; it is your responsibility to adhere to these instructions.

Type Task % Timing* Outcomes assessed
*News Article Local Government Reporting *Submission in Week 4, 5 or 6, depending on the schedule of the Gold Coast City Council meeting. 15% Week 4 1,2
Capstone Project Investigative Report: This assessment will be broken into manageable pieces, with lots of support and feedback along the way. You'll begin with a research plan and work towards an investigative report, including visualisation, research journal and reflective analysis. 85% Ongoing 1,2,3,4,5,6
  • * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
  • C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.

Study Information

Submission procedures

Students must check the iLearn@Bond subject site for detailed assessment information and submission procedures.

Policy on late submission and extensions

A student who has not established a basis for an extension in compliance with University and Faculty policy either by 1) not applying before the assessment due date or 2) by having an application rejected due to failure to show a justifiable cause for an extension, will receive a penalty on assessment submitted after its due date. The penalty will be 10% of marks awarded to that assessment for every day late, with the first day counted after the required submission time has passed. No assessment will be accepted for consideration seven calendar days after the due date. Where a student has been granted an extension, the late penalty starts from the new due date and time set out in the extension.

Academic Integrity

University’s Academic Integrity Policy defines plagiarism as the act of misrepresenting as one’s own original work: another’s ideas, interpretations, words, or creative works; and/or one’s own previous ideas, interpretations, words, or creative work without acknowledging that it was used previously (i.e., self-plagiarism). The University considers the act of plagiarising to be a breach of the Student Conduct Code and, therefore, subject to the Discipline Regulations which provide for a range of penalties including the reduction of marks or grades, fines and suspension from the University.

Bond University utilises Originality Reporting software to inform academic integrity.

Feedback on assessment

Feedback on assessment will be provided to students within two weeks of the assessment submission due date, as per the Assessment Policy.

Accessibility and Inclusion Support

If you have a disability, illness, injury or health condition that impacts your capacity to complete studies, exams or assessment tasks, it is important you let us know your special requirements, early in the semester. Students will need to make an application for support and submit it with recent, comprehensive documentation at an appointment with a Disability Officer. Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Office at the earliest possible time, to meet staff and learn about the services available to meet your specific needs. Please note that late notification or failure to disclose your disability can be to your disadvantage as the University cannot guarantee support under such circumstances.

Additional subject information

Subject curriculum

Approved on: Nov 5, 2020. Edition: 5.1
Last updated: Oct 10, 2022