ZURb1106 News writing

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Markéta Malá, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jaroslav Čuřík, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Ing. Rudolf Burgr, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. et Mgr. Markéta Malá, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Marek Osouch (seminar tutor)
Ing. Bc. Miloš Šenkýř (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Iva Vodáková (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. et Mgr. Markéta Malá, Ph.D.
Department of Media Studies and Journalism – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Boris Rafailov, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Media Studies and Journalism – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
ZURb1101 Journalism && ZURb1113 Methods of journalistic work
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 75 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/75, only registered: 0/75
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 19 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course offers basic information about news writing. In particular, the course aims to familiarise students with basic news genres both theoretically and practically, to teach them how to work with sources, and to familiarise them with the essential rules of editing journalistic texts written by other authors, as well as news agencies. The complexity of the course is based on the requirements of the application sphere, as elaborated in the market analysis.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the students will have the knowledge of contemporary news writing and characteristics of different genres, and an overall understanding of the usage of the genres in contemporary (mainly Czech) media. In the course, the students will also gain the knowledge and skills necessary for producing texts on a professional level. The course focuses mainly on most frequently used news genres in contemporary journalism.
Syllabus
  • Basic themes of lectures: 1. Defining the issues of news reporting, basic terms, news genres used in print media, and a short news item. 2. News reporting requirements (objectivity, balance, and impartiality), language of news, crossover of genres, and a news report. 3. Selection of sources and working with them, survey. 4. Selection of topics, relevance, news values, columns and sections, thematic areas of news, and agency news. 5. News editorial team, reporter's profession, organisation of work, routines, and emergency and crisis situations. 6. Journalism and public relations, press releases issued by authorities, offices, institutions and organisations, and press conferences. 7. Impact of technologies onto news reporting and multimedia news reporting. 8. News feature and emotions in the news. 9. Ethics and law in the news and authorisation. 10. News interview. 11. Investigative journalism. 12. Editing.
  • Content of the seminar: 1. Search and selection of topics. Exercises. 2. News headlines and opening. Selection of information from the agency service. Exercises. 3. Short report I. Exercise. 4. Short report II. Exercise and test. 5. Expanded report from ČTK and other sources I. Exercise. 6. News in audiovisual media (television). Exercises. 7. News in audiovisual media (radio). Exercises. 8. Extended report from ČTK and other sources II. Test. 9. Extended report from press conference (or court hearing) and other sources I. Exercise. 10. Expanded report from press conference (or court hearing) and other sources II. Test. 11. News feature I. Exercise. 12. News feature II. Test. 13. News interview. Test. At each seminar, there is also a student presentation of the news profile of the selected media or the use of a specific genre in the selected media.
Literature
    required literature
  • ČUŘÍK, Jaroslav. Zpravodajské žánry v tištěných a online médiích (News coverage genres in print and online media). 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2014, 156 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-7589-4. URL info
  • KASARDA, Martin. Praktická príručka písania pre profesionálov. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Eurokódex, 2012, 208 s. ISBN 9788089447688. info
    recommended literature
  • ČUŘÍK, Jaroslav, Rudolf BURGR and Martin ŠKOP. Nové trendy v médiích. Vyd. 1. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2012, 239 s. ISBN 9788021058392. URL info
  • TRAMPOTA, Tomáš. Zpravodajství. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 2006, 191 s. ISBN 8073670968. URL info
  • OSVALDOVÁ, Barbora. Zpravodajství v médiích. 2., upr. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2011, 144 s. ISBN 9788024618999. info
  • MENCHER, Melvin. Melvin Mencher's news reporting and writing. 12th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011, xx, 618. ISBN 9780073511993. info
  • ŠMÍD, Milan and Ludmila TRUNEČKOVÁ. Novinář a jeho zdroje v digitální éře. 1. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2009, 205 s. ISBN 9788024616612. info
Teaching methods
Theoretical preparation. Seminars and lectures. Practical journalistic assignments. Simulated practical learning from doing. Mentoring from experts. Creating a media product.
Assessment methods
The course may be completed successfully by only those students who submit assignments within deadlines with good quality and pass the final test based on the lectures.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Spring 2020, Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Autumn 2021, Spring 2022, Autumn 2022, Spring 2023, Autumn 2023, Spring 2024, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/ZURb1106