Heritage and the Media
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| CLAR3095 | Classics and Archaeology | 3 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- CLAR3095
- School
- Classics and Archaeology
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
The aim of this module is to teach practical skills in media engagement and management through lectures and workshops, running in parallel with examining how archaeological data are used in media narratives through seminars.
The seminars will use a case study approach and staff will draw on their own experience with different forms of media, such as TV, radio, podcasts, print and social media.
In the media engagement sessions we will teach skills such as: identifying a story, writing press releases, the importance of meaningful images, running a press conference, interviewing/ being interviewed, and writing article copy. We will also consider the differences between print and social media, and the importance of being succinct – a key skill!
Students will be able to choose the topic that they work on for their assessment, but all will engage in the in-class exercises. These will include scenarios such as being journalists at a press conference, and needing to write up the story that comes out of it. They will then submit these as part of their portfolio.
Target Students
Available to Undergraduate level 3 students in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, Liberal Arts students, subsidiary and exchange students and Natural Sciences students on the Archaeology pathway.
Classes
- One 3-hour workshop each week for 2 weeks
- One 2-hour workshop each week for 6 weeks
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 5 weeks
- One 1-hour lecture each week for 6 weeks
The rough outline is approximately: weeks 1-2 – Lecture, workshops, weeks 3-5 – lecture & seminar, weeks 6-8 – workshops & seminars, weeks 9-10 - lecture, workshops [depending on student numbers a longer session may be needed for the presentations and press conference slots, so I have built in two 3 hour sessions just in case].
Assessment
- 60% Coursework: Portfolio containing an original story, based on elements within the course, written for a) print media or The Conversation [c. 800 words], and b) a social media outlet of their choice [200-500 words plus images]. i.e. 1500 words max.
- 40% Portfolio: Group presentation (8-10 minutes long) on how a specific example from the archaeological literature has been picked up in the press [c. 1000 word equivalent), and an individual reflective writing piece [c. 1000 words]. i.e. 2000 words max.
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The aim of this module is to teach some key practical skills that will be of use in future careers, as well as examining how research is translated into media stories and to wider public fora such as Facebook, with the positives and negatives that can come with that. It will teach critical approaches to communication, media and audiences. While the examples will be focussed on archaeology, these critical analysis skills will be of use to students in a wide range of subjects.Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Identify a ‘hook’ for a media story
Participate in a press conference (including forming appropriate questions)
Write up a story in a way that is appropriate for a number of different outlets (e.g. print press, The Conversation, Instagram, Twitter)
Critically engage with published research
Work in a group to create a presentation based on their original research.
Reflect on how narratives alter as they move across different outlets – both traditional and social.