Create a portofolio for your reporting and writing course that must include: Self-sourced university story
Find your own news story suitable for publication in a University of Bedfordshire student magazine, conduct interviews and write up a story of between 300 to 350 words. Take a relevant photograph to go with your story – you will lose marks if you do not submit a photo.
2) Vox pop
Interview at least four people about a topical current issue and write a 350-word vox pop article suitable for publication on UoB Today.
3) Live Tweeting of an event
Tweet live updates on a newsworthy event you are attending or watching. This could include a sports match, a council meeting, an election count, a demonstration, a public meeting, a festival or a fashion show etc. Submit evidence of all your tweets, which could be done by taking screen shots of them and pasting the screen shots into Microsoft Word. If you paste your screenshots with the newest tweet first, going down in reverse chronological order, then it will make sense to the markers.
4) Self-sourced newspaper story
Find your own news story suitable for publication in a local newspaper of your choice, conduct relevant interviews and write up a story of between 300 to 350 words. This story must NOT be related to the University of Bedfordshire. Take a relevant photograph to go with your story – you will lose marks if you do not submit a photo.
5) Feature article
Conduct an interview or interviews with relevant people and use their quotes to write an 800-word feature article suitable for publication by a media company of your choice. This could be a profile feature on an individual, or a feature on a topical current issue or item in the news.
6) Sports match report
Watch a live sports match and write a 350-word match report suitable for publication on UoB Today. Remember, you need to include the first name (once) and surname of every player mentioned in your report.
7) Review article
Write a 300-word review of something new of your choice, suitable for publication on UoB Today. It could be a music album, a film, a theatre show, a computer game, a book etc.
8) Reflective Report & appendix of contacts
Write a 1,500-word essay (there will be a 10% tolerance on the word count) that reflects on some of the key decisions you faced when producing your portfolio pieces. Outline the challenges you faced, how you tackled them, what the legal issues were and the issues that you as a journalist needed to consider. You must include quotes from books/sources to support your points and provide a bibliography and list of references at the end.Use the Harvard referencing system when quoting sources.
An appendix containing contact details for all interviewees (with the exception of vox pop interviewees) must be attached to this report. This is your evidence of good practice and protection against any claims of plagiarism or fabrication. This appendix does not count towards your word count.
