BA (Hons) Sports Journalism

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This specialist course offers students the opportunity to develop core journalistic skills in preparation for careers in the media, working within local, national, and international sport. The course is accredited by the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists).

Students on the programme can work in our fully-equipped newsrooms and have the opportunity to produce video, audio, and written content to be published on both digital and traditional platforms.

With teaching from industry professionals and academics, the course examines how to operate as a journalist in the sports industry, covering the core journalistic skills of newsgathering, media law, ethics, interviewing, and writing.

"This information was correct at the time of publishing (July 2023)"

How You Study

Students can develop their understanding of digital and multiplatform broadcast journalism, and apply that knowledge in project work. This enables them to focus on aspects of the sports industry that align with specific interests and career aspirations.

An understanding of the commercial aspects of sports reporting forms an important part of the course. Students can gain an insight into the financial and business elements of national and international sports, as well as the cultural and social implications of reporting sport in the contemporary world.

First Year

• Essential Journalism 1 (Core)
• Essential Law (Core)
• Journalism Production 1 (Core)
• Politics for Journalists (Core)
• Sport and the Media (Core)
• Sports Writing and Reporting (Core)
• Shorthand (Option)†

Second Year

• Essential Journalism 2 (Core)
• Journalism Production 2: News Days (Core)
• Journalism Production 2: Project (Core)
• Law, Ethics and Regulation (Core)
• Research methods (Core)
• Sport and Society (Core)
• Journalism International Exchange (Option)†
• Shorthand (Option)†

Third Year

• Journalism Independent Study (Core)
• Journalism Production 3: Major Project (Core)
• Journalism Production 3: Professional Practice (Core)
• Professional Journalism Production (Core)
• Sport, PR and Communication (Core)
• Advanced Court Reporting (Option)†
• Intro to PR for Journalists (Option)†
• Specialist Journalism (Option)†
• The Business of Sport (Option)†

† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.

How You Are Assessed

The University of Lincoln's policy on assessment feedback aims to ensure that academics will return in-course assessments to students promptly - usually within 15 working days after the submission date.

The way students are assessed in this course may vary for each module. Examples of assessment methods that are used include coursework, such as written assignments, reports or dissertations; practical exams, such as presentations, performances or observations; and written exams, such as formal examinations or in-class tests. The weighting given to each assessment method may vary across each academic year. The University of Lincoln aims to ensure that staff return in-course assessments to students promptly.

Accreditations

This course is accredited by the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists). All Journalism programmes at the University of Lincoln are recognised by the European Journalism Training Association and the School is a member of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association.

This course is designed to equip graduates with the skills needed for a career in sports journalism across print, digital, and broadcast media. Students may pursue related opportunities in magazine and editorial work, copy editing, reporting for news outlets in other fields, or managing content and public relations in sports environments. Graduates may find roles at football clubs, sports clubs, sports bodies and sporting organisations.