Journalism
Kickstart your journalism career in an exciting and fast-changing media landscape that remains essential to our ideals of an informed society. Learn the practice of multimedia journalism in the School of Communication Studies’ state-of-the-art newsroom and production facilities. Study in a journalism department known nationally and internationally for its research, its teaching programmes and the industry experience of its lecturing team.
The cutting edge of technological change has transformed the world of journalism in recent decades. But behind the digital wizardry of today, the principles at the heart of all good reporting – accuracy, fairness and ethical truth-telling – are as fundamental and important as they ever were. Professional journalism skills, including high-quality writing, the ability to verify information, and a talent for interviewing, are needed to cut through the noise. And that is why our graduates are in strong demand.
In the Journalism department, you will gain experience in news reporting across multiple platforms and the sub-genres of journalism, including daily news work and investigative feature writing. You will also study bicultural reporting, cross-cultural reporting, and media law and ethics. You’ll learn on the job in our celebrated Te Waha Nui newsroom, taking part in live reporting and the real-world publication of your stories. You’ll take your newfound reporting talents and develop them further during an internship at one of a range of leading news organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand. Editors know our students produce publishable work and strongly support our programme.
What can I expect over the next two years?
In Year 2, students will be introduced to the practice of news reporting, writing real-world stories for publication on our celebrated news website, Te Waha Nui, while also studying the laws and ethical principles that guide journalists in Aotearoa New Zealand. Students will learn the skills and teamwork required for producing live and dynamic news reports across multiple digital platforms.
In Year 3, students will further develop the depth and impact of their journalism as they run the Te Waha Nui newsroom themselves, under the supervision of senior journalists. Each week the TWN news teams will produce a variety of multimedia content for the site’s well-established audience. Third-year students will also move into studying and producing long-form journalism, from lifestyle magazine pieces to hard-hitting investigative journalism, and produce it through multiple platforms for today’s fast-developing world of transmedia communication.
Key features
Be part of an alumni of AUT-educated journalists playing leading roles in news outlets around the world
Gain practical newsroom experience as you publish text, audio and video to our award-winning news site
Get workplace experience in local or national news outlets
Experience running a news team
Learn from highly skilled staff who are internationally known for their industry expertise
Hear more about these pathways from Greg Treadwell
Majoring in journalism will prepare you for a wide range of roles
News reporter for newspapers, magazines, television, radio or online media
Freelance journalist
Specialist writer
Production journalist
Web editor
A Major in Journalism
This consists of 120 points and you will take the following papers over two years
JOUR602 News Production
JOUR603 The Laws and Ethics of Newswork
JOUR604 Newslab Live (30points)
JOUR717 Newsdays (30 points)
JOUR718 Creative Non-fiction Narratives (30points)
A Minor in Journalism
This consists of 60 points and you will take the following papers over two years
JOUR602 News Production
JOUR603 The Laws and Ethics of Newswork
JOUR717 Newsdays (30points)
See yourself as
An inquisitive truth seeker
A hunter and gatherer of news
Investigative and curious