Political and Public Policy Journalism  MA

Overview

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Overview

City's MA in Political and Public Policy Journalism is aimed at those either already working, or interested in starting careers, in political and public policy journalism.

The course covers print, online and broadcast so is suitable for those wanting to cover these areas for the mainstream media as well as the new media, including blogs and other social media.

It is also relevant for work in NGOs, campaigning organisations, political parties, public affairs consultancies, local and national government and public relations consultancies.

The course:

  • provides a practical grounding both in the broad issues of politics and political communications as well as in the techniques of political and public policy journalism
  • offers a unique combination of practice and reflection - you will be involved in both in the day-to-day reporting politics and policy but will also study the major debates surrounding political journalism and communications
  • is taught by experienced political and public policy journalists and uses top-level outside guest speakers from the worlds of journalism, politics and broader areas of public policy
  • is based in the heart of London, giving you immediate access to the capital's key political, policy and media institutions
  • is taught mainly in the evenings, meaning you can study the MA while working

Course Fees:

  • Full-time EU: £9,000 (2013 entry)
  • Full-time Non EU: £14,000 (2013 entry)

Start Date:

23 September 2013

How to Apply

Entry Requirements

You must have one of the following:

  • a degree in a relevant subject, eg. journalism/media, politics or history
  • OR any other degree and evidence of an interest in political or public policy journalism or campaigning
  • OR a minimum of five years' professional experience of political or public policy journalism or campaigning

English Requirements

If your first language is not English, we advise you to apply for the International Journalism MA, which is designed specifically for students from outside the UK.

Visa Requirements

City University London retains Highly Trusted Status from UKBA, enabling us to sponsor international students to study in the UK.

The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course at City, there are different rules for:

  • Students on courses of more than 6 months
  • Students on courses of less than 6 months
  • Students on a pre-sessional English Language course

For more information see our main Visa page.

When and Where

Start Date:
23 September 2013
Duration:
Full-time (10 months). Teaching takes place mainly in the evenings.

Course Content

The MA, apart from preparing you for a career in political or public policy journalism, is also relevant for work in NGOs, campaigning organisations, political parties, public affairs consultancies, local and national government and public relations consultancies.

The course provides a practical grounding both in the broad issues of politics and political communications as well as in the techniques of journalism, political writing and reporting.

It offers a unique combination of practice and reflection - you will be involved in both day-to-day reporting politics and public policy and also the study of the major debates surrounding political journalism and communications.

It is taught by experienced political and public policy journalists and uses top-level guest speakers from the worlds of journalism and politics. The compulsory modules are taught in the evenings, making the course available to those in full-time work, but students are strongly encouraged to take the modules, run on  Mondays, which are taken by all MA Journalism students. These include Journalism and Society, Media Law, Online Journalism and Entrepreneurial Journalism.

Course Structure

Modules

Political reporting

This module is at the heart of the Political journalism MA course. It begins with basic journalistic concepts such as news values and the fundamentals of reporting, writing and interviewing and then moves on to cover areas such as use of political sources, dealing with 'spin', political broadcasting, interviewing politicians, online political writing and reporting, social media, reporting pressure groups campaigns and election reporting.

Politics, publics and communications

This module introduces you to key concepts, including the relationship between the media and politics, the role of PR in government, election campaigning, the influence of new media, the 'blogosphere' and citizen journalism, polling techniques, public opinion, the 'marketisation' of political communications, NGOs and political communications, and the impact of freedom of information legislation.

Public policy reporting

This module recognises that reporting public policy issues is an important part of the overall function of political journalism. It seeks to impart both an understanding of the policymaking process, combined with practical experience of reporting specific areas of public policy. This module has two aims: first it links political institutions, elections and campaigning to 'policy outputs' and, second, it introduces you to reporting and commentary on select areas of public policy. You will be assigned specific areas of public policy on which to focus.

Political broadcasting

Despite the rise of new media, television and radio remain the single most important and trusted sites of political and public policy coverage. In the first half of this practical module, you will learn how to record, script and edit radio news, culminating in the production of an individual current affairs package. The second half involves a group production of a live TV studio magazine programme, incorporating live interviews, news bulletins and location packages.

Political marketing and campaigning

This module explores different forms of promotional activity undertaken to gain power or influence in the political process, including lobbying, media campaigns, branding, direct marketing, electoral campaigns and online activities. You will examine the practice and ethics of political campaigning by individuals, pressure groups, businesses, political parties and governments.

MA Journalism project

The MA project brings together the knowledge and skills you will have acquired during the year in a final work that is of professional quality, and that is relevant to your chosen area.You will produce a project that has the potential to contribute to the public's understanding of the field of study, or to the profession's better understanding of its working methods.


Read the full programme specification.

Teaching and Assessment

All MA Journalism courses at City are practical, hands-on courses designed for people that want to become journalists. As a result, much of your coursework will be journalistic assignments that you produce to deadline, as you would in a real news organisation.

Some courses are taught in lecture theatres, such as Journalism and Society 1 and Media Law, but most are smallgroup workshops that allow you to develop your journalistic skills and knowledge with the support of our expert academics.

Professor Ivor Gaber, the course director, has an outstanding background in both practical political journalism and in academic research in this area.

He has co-authored three books and numerous articles on political communications, and has served as a media consultant to a variety of organisations, governments and international bodies. His journalistic career has included senior editorial positions at the BBC, ITN, Channel Four and Sky News. He is an Independent Editorial Adviser to the BBC and a frequent contributor to radio and television networks in the UK and abroad.

Read the full programme specification.

Recommended Reading

Sample reading list for Journalism & Society 1

  • Belsley, Andrew , Chadwick, Ruth (Eds) Ethical Issues in Journalism and the Media, Routledge, 1992
  • Quinn, Frances, Law for Journalists, Pearson Education, 2007
  • Morrison, James, Public Affairs for Journalists, Oxford University Press, 2009
  • Wynford, Hicks, English for Journalists, Routledge, 1998

　

Fees

  • Full-time EU: £9,000 (2013 entry)
  • Full-time Non EU: £14,000 (2013 entry)

Funding

For up-to-date information about tuition fees, living costs and financial support, visit Undergraduate Fees and Finance or Postgraduate Fees and Finance.

Bursaries

The following organisations have supported students in the Department of Journalism in the past. This is not a guarantee of future sponsorship, and you are advised to check the websites of these organisations for details of future bursary and scholarship schemes. 

Career Prospects

We have been running Journalism courses at City since 1976. In the 37 years since, over 5,000 students have graduated and are now working in the media in the UK and internationally.

Read alumni stories and see the full list of graduate destinations in the latest issue of our alumni magazine XCity.


 

City Journalism alumni currently working in political journalism include:

  • Fraser Nelson (Editor, The Spectator)
  • James Landale (Deputy Political Editor, BBC)
  • George Parker (Political Editor, Financial Times)
  • Sam McCrory (Political Editor, The House magazine)
  • James Bloodworth (Assistant Editor. Left Foot Forward)
  • Pippa Crerar (City Hall Editor, London Evening Standard)

Find out more about City University London

Application Deadline

There is no formal application deadline. However, places on the course are limited and we recommend that you apply as early as possible, as admission will close when the course is full.

MA Political and Public Policy Journalism

Please submit the following:

  1. One application form
  2. Two references, one of which should be from an academic referee. Either post the references to us with your application, or arrange for your referees to forward them to us no later than two weeks after your application is submitted.
  3. A copy of your degree transcript. We require one of the following: an original transcript; a copy certified by your university; an electronic scan of your transcript. If you have not yet graduated, you will be required to submit your degree transcript as soon as it is available. You will not be able to register as a City student without having supplied your degree transcript.
  4. An example of your published journalism, or an article written for publication (not an essay) of between 700 and 800 words about a contemporary aspect of the relationship between politicians and journalists. The article should be written for a specific audience in a specific country - please identify the publication and the target audience.

Application deadline

There is no formal application deadline. However, places on the course are limited and we recommend that you apply as early as possible, as admission will close when the course is full.

Application forms

or

Return address

Please return your application form and/or supporting documents, marked "Postgraduate Applications 2013", to: Admissions, Graduate School of Journalism, City University London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, UK.