Overview

This unit aims to give students the skills and understanding necessary to undertake investigative journalism. After completing this unit of study students will have the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to work on investigative stories.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the practical and ethical issues involved in undertaking investigative journalism
  • Cultivate and maintain contacts and sources for investigative journalism
  • Develop interview techniques for investigative journalism
  • Critically analyse financial and statistical data
  • Create investigative journalism stories to a professional standard
  • Develop critical arguments relating to investigative reporting as a form of journalism

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Lecture (asynchronous)		 1 12 weeks  12
On-campus
Class		 2 12 weeks  24
Specified Activities
Various		 3 12 weeks  36
Unspecified Activities
Various		 6.5 12 weeks  78
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 35% 1,3,4,5,6 
Major AssignmentIndividual 50% 1,2,3,4,5,6 
Minor AssignmentIndividual 15% 1,3,4,6 

Content

In this unit, students will explore content that includes:

  • Investigative reporting research techniques
  • Analysis of statistical data
  • Writing skills for investigative reports
  • Issues, ethical dilemmas and challenges faced by practitioners

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.