DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
DELHI - 110007

Structure of B.A. Honours Journalism professional course (English)

Under Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) for
Undergraduate Education

SEMESTER 1
(Core and Generic Elective Papers)

Syllabus applicable for students seeking admission to the B.A. Honours Journalism
professional course (English) and under LOCF
w.e.f. the academic year 2019-20

1
 Structure of B.A. Honours Journalism Professional course (English) under LOCF

Paper Titles Page

Core Papers Semester I

1. Introduction to Journalism 2
2. Introduction to Media and Communication 4

Generic Elective Papers

1. Basics of Journalism 6
2. Introduction to Media Studies 7

SEM CORE SEC DSE GE

I C1 Introduction to GE(Sem1)
Journalism ----------- --------- . 1. Basics of Journalism
C2 Introduction to 2. Introduction to
Media and Med Media Studies
Communication

SEMESTER I

Introduction to Journalism
Objective: This paper introduces students to the basic concepts of journalistic writing and the
process of transmission of news from the media organization to its readers. It also focuses on
the aspects of good journalistic writing.

Unit I- Understanding News

Ingredients of news
News: meaning, definition, nature
The news process: from the event to the reader (how news is carried from event to reader)
Hard news vs. Soft news
Basic components of a news story
Attribution, on-record, off-the record, embargo,
Verification, balance, fairness, brevity, dateline, credit line and byline.

Unit II - Different forms of print-A historical Perspective

Yellow journalism
Penny press, tabloid press
Language of news- Robert Gunning: Principles of clear writing
Rudolf Flesch formula- skills to write news

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Unit III - Understanding the structure and construction of news
Organizing a news story, 5W’s and 1H, Inverted pyramid
Criteria for news worthiness, principles of news selection
Use of archives, sources of news, use of internet

Unit IV – Different mediums-a comparison

Language and principles of writing on different media platforms
Basic differences between the print, electronic and online journalism, Citizen Journalism

Unit V- Role of Media in a democracy

Responsibility to Society
Press and Democracy
Contemporary debates and issues relating to media
Paid news
Ethics in journalism

Projects: Writing stories in the inverted pyramid format, identifying the news values in
news stories of different newspapers, identifying the 5W’s and 1 H in news stories, writing
soft-news stories.
Learning Outcome: The students will be able to understand the nature of news and the
process of news transmission to the readers. The paper will also enable them to write news
stories and comprehend the role of the press in a democratic society.
Teaching- Learning Process: Lecture methods, Power point presentations, Special lectures
by journalists, discussions and debates
Assessment Method: As per rules of the University of Delhi
Key words: Beats, inverted pyramid, hard news, soft news, yellow journalism, democracy

Essential Readings:
Bruce D. Itule and Douglas A. Anderson.News writing and reporting fortoday’s media;
McGraw Hill Publication, 2000.

George Rodmann. Mass Media in a Changing World; Mcgraw Hill Publication, 2007.

Carole Flemming and Emma Hemmingway.An Introduction to Journalism; Vistaar

Publications, 2006.

Richard Keeble. The Newspaper’s Handbook; Routledge Publication, 2006.

Suggested Readings:

M.L. Stein, Susan Paterno & R. Christopher Burnett. News writer’s Handbook: An
Introduction to Journalism; Blackwell Publishing, 2006

3
Introduction to Media and Communication
Objective: The Course is designed to familiarize students with the concept of Mass
communication as central to media practice. It will help them locate the very process in a
long durée history of human communication, technological changes and the shifting contours
of this process. It also helps them to abstract this process into models and theories. The
module will introduce them to prominent theoretical paradigms in the discipline in its early
years as well as its contemporary manifestations. The course is thus an introduction to
theories of media and communication in its historical landscape

Unit I- Media and Everyday Life

Mobile phones, Television, Twitter, Instagram
The Internet discussion around media and everyday life
Discussions around mediated and non mediated communication

Unit II - Communication and Mass Communication

Forms of Communication, Levels of Communication
Mass Communication and its Process
Normative Theories of the Press
Media and the Public Sphere

Unit III-Mass Communication and Effects Paradigm

Direct Effects; Mass Society Theory, Propaganda
Limited Effects; Individual Difference Theory, Personal Influence Theory
Digital influencers in the contemporary world

Unit IV-Cultural Effects and the Emergence of an Alternative Paradigm

Cultural Effects: Agenda Setting,
Spiral of Silence, Cultivation Analysis
Critique of the effects paradigm and emergence of alternative paradigm

Unit V-Four Models of Communication

Four Models of Communication: transmission models, ritual or expressive models, publicity
model, reception model

Learning outcome: The course will facilitate a deep understanding of the role and influence
of the media in an individual’s life. It will help the student to critically perceive the effects of
the media use.

Teaching-Learning Process: The course should ideally help identify media’s

communicative potential through everyday examples such as mobile phone, television shows
and other media use. It also will then help to think retrospectively of media use and its effects

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through live and vibrant examples from everyday experience. The teacher should try to
inculcate in class the ability to critically understand media use through class room
discussions. With its strong historical references, assignments can potentially be imagined
over a range of topics such as propaganda during Nazi era, Soviet Republic and other
regimes, Cold war propaganda, agenda setting during election campaigns, digital influencers
in new media and so on.

Assessment Method: As per rules of the University of Delhi.

Keywords: Communication, Mass Communication, Everyday technology, Effects, Paradigm,

Agenda setting theory and process.

Essential Readings:

Michael Ruffner and Michael Burgoon, Interpersonal Communication (New York,

Holt,Rinehart and Winston 1981, 21 34; 59 72
John Fiske, Introduction to Communication Studies, (Routledge 1982), pp 1 38
Dennis McQuail, Mass Communication Theory, (London, Sage, 2000), pp 1 11; 41-54; 121-
133(fourth Edition)
Baran and Davis, Mass Communication Theory, Indian Edition, (South West Coengate
Learning, 2006) pages 42 64; 71 84; 148 153; 298 236
Kevin Williams, Understanding Media Theory, (2003), pp.168 188

Suggested Readings :
Robin Jeffrey, Cell Phone Nation: How Mobile Phones have Revolutionized
Business,Politics and Ordinary Life in India. New Delhi: Hachette (2013)
Ravi Sundaram, The Art of Rumour in the Age of Digital Reproduction, The Hindu,
August19, 2012 http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-art-of-rumour-in-the-age-of-
digitalreproduction/article3792723.ece (Unit 1)
Maya Ranganathan.” Commercial FM radio takes over Indian cities.”,Ranganathan, Maya,
and Usha M. Rodrigues. Indian media in a globalised world.SAGE Publications India, 2010.
ShreyaMitra, The Show of the millennium: Screening the big money quiz show and the
Bollywood Super star, in Punathambekar, Aswin, and Shanti Kumar. "Television at
large."South Asian History and Culture 3, no. 4 (2012): 483-490.

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GENERIC ELECTIVE PAPERS
SEMESTER I

Basics of Journalism

Objective: This paper will lead students to the fundamental understanding of

journalism.
It has all the basic ingredients that prepare the foundation of journalism. It also aids
to some of the objectives include, understanding the concept and history of
journalism, learn the functions of news, gain insights on construction of news and
recognize the different forms of journalism.

Unit I- Understanding News

Ingredients of news
News: meaning, definition, nature
The news process: from the event to the reader (how news is carried from event to
reader) Hard news versus. Soft news, basic components of a news story
Attribution, embargo, verification, balance and fairness, brevity, dateline, credit line
and byline.

Unit II- Different forms of print-A historical perspective

Yellow journalism
Penny press, tabloid press
Language of news- Robert Gunning: Principles of clear writing,
Rudolf Flesch formula- skills to write news

Unit III- Understanding the structure and construction of news

Organizing a news story, 5W’s and 1H, Inverted pyramid
Criteria for news worthiness, principles of news selection
Use of archives, sources of news, use of internet

Unit IV- Different mediums- A comparison

Language and principles of writing

Basic differences between the print, electronic and online journalism
Citizen journalism

Unit V-Role of media in a democracy

Responsibility to Society
Press and Democracy
Contemporary debates and issues relating to media
Ethics in journalism

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Project: Prepare a presentation on difference between Soft news and Hard news
from the newspapers.

Learning Outcome: Students will understand the notion of Journalism and grasp
the underlying factors that define the news. And they learn the process of structuring
news formation.

Teaching-Learning Process: Lecture method, Videos, PowerPoint Presentations

and Discussion

Assessment method: As per Delhi University Norms

Keywords: Basics of journalism, definition of news, press and democracy, ethics in
journalism

Essential Readings:
Bruce D. Itule and Douglas A. Anderson. News writing and reporting for today’s
media; McGraw Hill Publication, 2000.
M.L. Stein, Susan Paterno& R. Christopher Burnett. News writer’s Handbook: An
Introduction to Journalism; Blackwell Publishing,2006.
George Rodmann. Mass Media in a Changing World; Mcgraw Hill
Publication,2007.
Carole Flemming and Emma Hemmingway. An Introduction to Journalism; Vistaar
Publications, 2006.

Suggested readings
Richard Keeble. The Newspaper’s Handbook; Routledge Publication, 2006.
The Golden Age of the Newspaper. George H. Douglas. Greenwood Publishing
Group, 1999 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 300 pages.
Media Ethics: Truth, Fairness, and Objectively 2nd Edition (English, Paperback,
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta)
Media, the State and Marginalisation: Tackling Challenges: Rachna Sharma: UK,
Cambridge Scholars Publishing, (2018) (ed.)

Introduction to Media Studies

Objective: The course is designed to familiarize students with the concept of Mass
communication as central to media practice. It will help them locate the very process
in a long durée history of human communication, technological changes and the
shifting contours of this process. It also helps them to abstract this process into
models and theories. The module will introduce them to prominent theoretical
paradigms in the discipline in its early years as well as its contemporary
manifestations. The course is thus an introduction to theories of media and
communication in its historical landscape

7
Unit I-Communication and Mass Communication

Levels of Communication
Mass Communication and its Process
Forms of Communication

Unit II-Models of Communication

Transmission models
Ritual or Expressive models
Publicity Model
Reception Model

Unit III-Mass Communication and Effects Paradigm

Direct Effects: Mass Society Theory, Propaganda
Limited Effects: Individual Difference Theory, Personal Influence Theory
Public Opinion

Unit IV-Cultural Effects and the Emergence of an Alternative Paradigm

Critique of the effects Paradigm and emergence of alternative paradigm
Cultural Effects: Agenda Setting, Spiral of Silence
Cultivation Analysis

Unit V-Media and the Everyday

Media technologies and the everyday
Media and Modernity
Normative Theories of the Press
Media and the Public Sphere

Learning Outcome: The students will be enabled to identify communication

practices, their formative role in society, understand the relationship between media
and democracy.

Teaching-Learning Process: The course should ideally help identify media’s

communicative potential through everyday examples such as mobile phone,
television shows and other media use. It also will then help to think retrospectively
of media use and its effects through live and vibrant examples from everyday
experience.
The teacher should try to inculcate in class the ability to critically understand media
use through class room discussions. With its strong historical references,
assignments can potentially be imagined over a range of topics such as propaganda
during Nazi era, Soviet Republic and other regimes, Cold war propaganda, agenda
setting during election campaigns, digital influencers in new media and so on.

Assessment Method: As per Delhi University Rules

8
Keywords: Communication, Mass Communication, Everyday technology, Effects,
Paradigm, Agenda Setting, Theory and Process.

Essential Readings:

Michael Ruffner and Michael Burgoon, Interpersonal Communication (New York,

Holt, Rinehart and Winston 1981, 21 34; 59 72
John Fiske, Introduction to Communication Studies, (Routledge 1982), pp 1 38
Dennis McQuail, Mass Communication Theory, (London, Sage, 2000), pp 1 11;
41 54; 121 133 (fourth Edition)
Baran and Davis, Mass Communication Theory, Indian Edition, (South West
Coengate Learning, 2006) pages 42 64; 71 84; 148 153; 298 236
Kevin Williams, Understanding Media Theory, (2003), pp.168 188