Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information science

The Nordic Countries in Europe

ECTS credits: 15

Level: Undergraduate (intermediate)

Prerequisites: The main target group is students who have completed two years of a bachelor degree in journalism or photojournalism. Other interested candidates with higher education entrance qualification or approved prior learning and work experience will also be considered. The student should have a working knowledge of English.

Semester: Autumn/spring

Assessment: There are 3 assignments connected to the course, two journalistic works and one theory assignment. The themes for the journalistic assignments are chosen freely within the frames of the course. These two assignments are submitted consecutively and subject teacher gives feed-back on web. It is possible to improve the assignments before the final submission. In addition, a theory assignment is given. The 3 assignments are submitted together at the end as an examination work. The assignments are evaluated equally and the average result is expressed according to a 5-step grading scale from A to E for passed and F for not passed. External examiner evaluates 20% of the examination sheets.

Aims and contents: During the course, the students shall develop knowledge and skills enabling them to understand, analyse and impart from Nordic and European societies and from the cooperation between the countries. Knowledge of EU and EEA is an important part of the course. There will be given introduction to the genres of foreign journalism and to the different working methods of the foreign correspondent.

Contents:

Knowledge of Nordic and European societies, and their modes of cooperation
About the European project and its driving powers
Consequences of Nordic/European cooperation, with focus on the EEA agreement
Use of sources in EEA/EU journalism
Inter-European media pictures

Organization and working methods: There will be lectures by press people, researchers and professionals. The gatherings will also prepare for group work and discussions as well as for elaboration of problems. Group participation is voluntary. Those who are interested in group participation register at the start of the course.

Library practice for Exchange Students

ECTS credits: 15

Level: Undergraduate/graduate (intermediate/advanced)

Prerequisites: The target group is students in Library and Information Science. The students should have a working knowledge of English or a Scandinavian language.

Semester: Autumn/spring

Assessment: Practice report/field report of 10-15 pages with a theme relevant to the place of practice. Pass or fail. Aims and contents: Exchange students are offered practice in a library or archive or related institution corresponding to 8 weeks full time. The students shall, through their practice, acquire knowledge of libraries/archives in Norway and make comparisons with institutions in their own countries.

The students shall:

get familiar with the profession of librarian/archivist in Norway
get practical experience with work in libraries/archives or related institutions
learn how libraries/archives in Norway are organised and function
develop critical reflections on how libraries/archives are organised and function

Organization and working methods: The students have a supervisor at the place of practice. On the basis of their period of practice the students shall make a report with a theme relevant to the place of practice. The theme should be approved by a lecturer. The lecturer will also give some guidance with the report which can be written in English or in a Scandinavian Language.

Digital Documents

ECTS credits: 15

Level: Graduate

Prerequisites: A completed BA degree in Library and Information Science or the equivalent. Students must have some insights into Knowledge Organisation and should master web publishing. Students should have a working knowledge of English.

Semester: Autumn

Assessment: The assessment is based on a project work (40%) and a 6-hour written exam (60%). Grading will be according to the ECTS grading scale, with A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade. The exam can be written in English or in a Scandinavian language.

Aims and contents: In Digital Documents, focus is on digital objects, the rapidly changing information and communication technologies, and their consequences for society. The module focuses, in particular, on technologies developed for document production, retrieval, distribution, and structuring (information architecture) using semantic web related technologies. More specifically, technological topics include XML, RDF, RSS and topic maps, and their application in digital libraries. In addition, the module deals with topics related to copyright issues, such as digital rights management (DRM) and related technical and legal issues.

Gender, Journalism and Media

ECTS credits: 10

Level: Graduate

Prerequisites: A completed BA degree in Journalism, Photojournalism, Media and Communication studies or the equivalent. Students should have a working knowledge of English.

Semester: Autumn

Assessment: Term paper, appr. 15 pages on a chosen topic within the thematic field of the course. The paper is assessed according to a scale ranging from A to F, with A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade. The term paper will be assessed by an evaluation committee consisting of both an internal and en external examiner.

Aims and contents: The course will stimulate critical media and journalism studies aimed at uncovering eventual gendered practices. During the course the students will be informed about historical development concerning gender and media and of newer research concerning the impact of gender for the journalistic profession and journalism itself.

The students should:

during the course become more aware of important theoretical approaches to the field, in Norway as well as internationally
increase their analytical capabilities in studies of media institutions and practices when it comes to gender
be able to analyse the impact of gender on the development of the journalist profession and its priorities and representations

Organization: The course will take place at Oslo University College and will be organized in gatherings which make it easy both for part time students and students from abroad to participate.

Journalism and Communication in the Era of Globalization and Transnationalism

ECTS credits: 20

Level: Graduate

Prerequisites: A completed BA degree in Journalism, Photojournalism, Media and Communication studies or the equivalent. Students should have a working knowledge of English. The course is open for master students at the Journalism and Media Programmes of Oslo University College and the University of Oslo and the Joint Master’s Programme in Journalism (Nordplus Neighbour Network, for which four places are reserved). The course is also open for other master students, also from Non-European countries. It is an advantage for the students to have training and experience in journalism.

Semester: Spring (starting spring 2008)

Assessment: A term paper of appr. 25 pages within the thematic field of the course. The paper is assessed according to a scale ranging from A to F, with A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade. The term paper will be assessed by an evaluation committee consisting of both an internal and en external examiner.

Aims and contents: The course extends over one semester. The Master study is a co-operation between the Journalism and Media programmes at Oslo University College (OUC) and the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo (UoO).

The students are to:

Reach a deeper understanding of the processes of globalization and trans-nationalism and the challenges faced by media and journalism in this respect
Study critical research traditions related to Orientalism critique, theories of nation and nationality, to media, migrancy and transnationalism
Study the journalistic traditions and mediated narratives in the light of international and multicultural discourses
Study analysis of dialogic communication
Critically analyze media outputs in an international and multicultural context.
Be better able to journalistically represent people and phenomena in an international and/or multicultural context
Be better able to analyse multicultural and ethical dimensions of information and communication flows

Organization of classes: The course will be based on a combination of weekend gatherings and full week lectures, and a degree of flexibility will be practiced to enable students from different countries and localities. The venue will be OsloUniversityCollege. All curriculum as well as lectures and discussions will be in English. The course includes lectures, discussions, multimedia conferences and group work

Science and the Media: Challenges for Journalism

ECTS credits: 10

Level: Graduate

Prerequisites: A completed BA degree in Journalism, Photojournalism, Media and Communication studies or the equivalent. Students should have a working knowledge of English.

Semester: Spring (starting spring 2008)

Assessment: The students may choose one of two forms of assessment, both term papers:

A reportage covering science or science related issues, followed by a reflection paper discussing and analyzing the textual material theoretically helped by the syllabus. Or: An analytic, theory-based paper investigating a limited media output where science, scientific uncertainty or risks related to science are covered.

The papers are evaluated according to a scale ranging from A to F, with A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade. The term papers will be assessed by an evaluation committee consisting of both an internal and an external examiner. The term papers may be written in Norwegian or English.

Admission: The course is open to master students at the Master Programme of Journalism, other master students at the Department of Media and Communication (UiO) and the Joint Master Programme in Journalism (Nordplus Neighbour Network). Four study places are reserved for students from our partner institutions in the Nordplus Neighbour Network. Other master students with relevant educational background can also apply. It is recommended that the students have training and experience in journalism.

Aims and contents: Science is becoming more and more influential in society. Scientific research contributes to economic and technological development. It gives us knowledge of how nature is built up, how society functions and what our history is. Increasingly, scientists are used as advisers in political decision-making processes. Developments in science raise important questions about ethics, whether they concern patents on biological material, prenatal diagnosis or the possibility of cloning human beings.

In a democratic society, science and scientific communities should be subject to a rigorous process of dialogue and critique. However, many journalists covering science have tended to regard themselves solely as a translators and disseminators of scientific knowledge. Scientific institutions have, for their part, become increasingly skilful in shaping the image of science in the public.

This course will draw upon studies of on how the media represent science, scientific uncertainty and risk. The students will be encouraged to explore other ways of representing science and science related issues in journalistic work.

The students are to:

Gain insight into how journalists relate to science, scientific uncertainty and to scientists as expert sources.
Develop an understanding of how science and scientific knowledge is a part of society; how it is put to use and how it shapes and is shaped by society.
Acquire knowledge of central theory and academic work on science journalism and the relationship between science and the media.
Be able to critically analyze practical journalistic work which covers scientific issues or uses scientists as expert sources.
Develop and perfect their science journalism.

Organization of classes: The course will be based on two week-long gatherings at Oslo University College, including lectures, discussions and group-work. The lectures and the curriculum will be in English.

War and Peace Journalism

ECTS credits: 15

Level: Graduate

Prerequisites: A completed BA degree in Journalism, Photojournalism, Media and Communication studies or the equivalent. Students should have a working knowledge of English.

Semester: Spring

Assessment: A term paper of 20 pages on a chosen topic within the thematic field of the course. The paper can be written in English or Norwegian. The paper is assessed according to a scale ranging from A to F, with A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade. The term paper will be assessed by an evaluation committee consisting of both an internal and en external examiner.

Potential participants: The course is aimed at graduates from the Journalism Programme at OsloUniversityCollege and students participating in the Master of Global Journalism programme, which is a joint programme between Oslo University College, Oslo University and the University of Ôrebro, Sweden. Other master students with relevant educational background can also apply.

Qualifications and course applications: The total number of students may vary. 20 of the places at the course are earmarked for students from the Master of Global Journalism programme and 10 places are earmarked for the Journalism Programme. The course will take place in Oslo and a follow up seminar at the University in Örebro.

Aims and contents: "War and Peace Journalism" is a part of the master programme in Journalism, a joint programme organized in collaboration between Oslo University College’s Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information science (JBI), the University of Oslo’s Department of Media and Communication (IMK), and Örebro University’s Programme for Global Journalism.

The aim of the course "War and Peace Journalism" is to stimulate critical journalism on issues like wars, international conflicts, mediations and peace efforts in conflicts and globalization. The students will be offered knowledge, journalistic skills and attitudes to make them capable of:

analyzing journalistic performances in conflicts
analyzing mechanisms which promote peaceful and violent solutions to conflicts
the knowledge to seek out the mechanisms that can potentially influence journalism in wars and conflicts such as propaganda, stereotypes, enemy images and media strategies
develop analytical and practical skills in analyzing media texts in order to reveal ethnocentrism and stereotypes towards other cultures and religions and to develop alternative coverage in form of a more peace oriented and multicultural journalism

The main focus of the course will be on the journalistic presentations of wars and conflicts. "Conflict" in this respect is both meant to be manifest conflicts such as war, acts of terror and violence and structural conflicts like the economical and cultural differences between the rich north and the poor south.

There will be a critical presentation of existing conflict-orientated war coverage in mainstream media and presentation of examples of alternative peace oriented and multicultural journalism from conflict zones. The course will have a focus on journalistic presentation on conflicts after September 11, the war against terror, the Middle East conflict and the war in Iraq. The themes of lectures, course literature and workshops will be on propaganda and media strategies, globalization of war- and conflict-journalism, the discourse of orientalism and counter strategies to meet these. Through workshops with textual analyses and journalistic techniques the participants will be able to highlight their journalistic consciousness and skills to be better journalists within the issues of war and peace.

Organising and working methods: The course will be arranged with weekly gatherings. There will a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops. There will also be a follow up two days seminar in Örebro after this. The participants on the Global Journalism in Örebro programme and the students on the Master programme in journalism in Oslo will have additional seminar activities.

Critical Perspectives on Journalism and Public Relations

ECTS credits: 10

Level: Graduate

Prerequisites: Applicants must have either a BA degree in Media & Communications Studies or Journalism, or equivalent qualifications, and should be proficient in English.

Semester: Offered for the first time autumn 2008 or spring 2009

Assessment: Each participant writes two course papers in English, each 10-15 pages (2,500-4,000 words), within the main themes of the course, using course material and curriculum. The papers are assessed according to a scale ranging from A to F, with A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade. The term papers will be assessed by an evaluation committee consisting of both an internal and an external examiner.

Aims and contents: The aims of this course are to analyze critically, from the vantage point of journalism, the field and discipline of public relations, its development and current status, its possibilities and limitations, in the private and public sectors. Emphasis will be on developments internationally.

Critical analysis of the field and discipline of public relations in an international context, from the vantage point of journalism
Theoretical and methodological approaches to public relations
Analysis of ethical issues (information ethics, media ethics, business ethics)
Analysis of relationships between journalism, PR, information and communication studies

Contents:

The course content centres on selections from three key texts: Allan, S. (ed). (2005). Journalism: Critical Issues. Maidenhead: Open University Press, Pratkanis, A. & Aronson, E. (2001). Age of Propaganda. The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion. New York: W.H. Freeman and Heath, R. L. (ed.) (2001). Handbook of Public Relations, London: Sage Publications. In addition, several other books and articles are included in the curriculum and in the recommended extra-curricular reading list. The following topics are highlighted:

History of relationship between journalism and public relations
Roles and relationships: journalists, information and communication experts
Analysis of public relations (contexts, key stakeholders, theories, methodologies, ethics)
Organization theory, organizational behaviour and communication
Critical perspectives on New Public Management
Critical perspectives on marketing campaigns, lobbying, information and communication flows
Crisis communication

Organization:

Lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, video conferences, excursions. Some of these are in co-operation with international partners, including Central Missouri State University and Communication University of China. Participants are expected to present and discuss their term papers in English.

Oppdatert: 21. juni 2007
Redigert av: Guri Gjerde