Academic Programs

This unit integrates the theory of design for print media with the practical application of this knowledge using Adobe InDesign desktop publishing software. Students will learn the technical computer skills required to layout pages using InDesign software through practical instruction, supervised practical application of skills, and practical exercises. They will learn the principles of typography and graphic design through theory lectures, group work, class presentations and practical exercises. They will put this knowledge into practice by laying out pages of the department’s weekly newspaper, Liklik Diwai.

While all journalists cannot be experts on media law, all journalists require a basic understanding of the law to enable them to identify potential problems and to know when to seek advice. You will be expected to demonstrate a basic knowledge of essential law for journalists, including defamation and restrictions on reporting of crime and courts. You will also learn the discipline of a well-organised notebook, capable of being produced as evidence.

This unit builds on from Community Reporting 1 and broadens students’ general reporting skills to enable them to tackle more complex news stories and to write feature articles. Emphasis is placed on reporting in the context of a developing country, PNG. Students learn the value of using multiple sources to provide balanced and informative news stories. Emphasis is given on writing stories, which provide context and background to enable readers to gain a clear understanding of the significance of events being covered. Students also learn the skills to report on underlying issues rather than simply recording events. The reporting skills of students are enhanced with an introduction to court reporting where they demonstrate understanding court judgments and decisions and report about them in a simple and accurate way. Students are introduced to feature writing and explore the differences in structure and style between news stories and features. They learn to use anecdotes, incidents, dialogue and scenery to add depth and to achieve interest in features and generate their own feature stories. This is a practical unit and students produce news and features for the training newspaper, Liklik Diwai and other publications.

The second module of the unit is an introduction to the techniques of writing and producing news for television. Television is the world’s most powerful form of communication. Every day it reaches out to millions of people to entertain and inform them with ‘real life’ images of the world around them. In this module, students learn the basics of Television (what a TV picture is, how a TV Station works, how a program gets on Air) and identify the differences between Print media, Radio and Television production. They will learn the components of Television language and understand the visual grammar of motion picture that will enable them to tell a story visually in an effective way. They will acquire the basic skills to conduct and shoot an interview and to write scripts for a TV news package. Teaching is by lecture and practical activities.

The focus in this unit is on international media outlets and issues. It builds upon the critical skills and news awareness developed in previous units. Students observe, describe, compare and analyse news media outlets from around the globe. This allows them to further develop their media literacy skills. Students will compare and contrast the various news media outlets with the international news coverage available from the equivalent outlets in PNG. Academic reading will allow students the opportunity to further consider international media flows and the theories behind these flows.

Publishing and editing skills are a valuable asset in today’s media and communications industry. The unit comprises four main elements: layout and design skills; creating and planning a publication, production skills; sub-editing skills. Students will gain the knowledge to create and plan publications, to design and produce them, and then sub-edit them. For design and production, students will use Adobe InDesign CS6, and put their creative skills into practice by planning, laying out and producing a one-off publication. This could be a one-off magazine or a book. Students can submit their own ideas for this publication project. Students will take on individual roles such as Editor, Production Editor, Picture Editor, Art Editor, according to class size. The publication, or Diwai magazine, will also be sub-edited by all the students, demonstrating how sub-editing improves copy, thereby producing a professional-looking publication. Alternatively, students can work on individual projects from planning the concept to final product.

This unit highlights how community development needs to be guided and strengthened by

relevant and appropriate social policies. A policy framework provides an avenue to pursue

meaningful development. This unit examines some social development policies in areas such

as health, education, welfare, and population. It helps to demonstrate how these policies are

related and are of relevance to social and community development.

This unit aims to prepare students to undertake a small social science research project. The

theoretical component of this unit introduces the philosophies and approaches underpinning

qualitative and quantitative types of research, and familiarize with elements of research

project leading to the development research proposal. The practical component of the unit

develops skills for defining research problem, critical reading and writing literature review,

developing data collection instruments, and obtaining ethical clearance.

PNG has gone through significant administrative reforms, which have altered the function and

focus of the public service machinery. This unit provides an overview of administrative

reforms and directs your attention to the current focus on district development. The District

Development Authority manages the decentralized administrative system and controls the

district services improvement funds. The funds a disbursed at the district level and used in

accordance with the district and ward development plans.

Radio is the most widespread and accessible medium in PNG, available to a great number of people living in remote and rural areas. It is often their only means of contact with the workings and development of PNG. This subject aims to equip the students with the skills to plan, research, produce and deliver a radio feature program. The student will plan their feature program, undertake significant research in relation to the subject/s chosen and produce their program. Programs of high quality will be submitted to broadcasters in PNG and overseas.

BS317 Human Resources Management

RS331 Church Teaching on Social Justice

PG434 Community Projects in Districts

PG428 Foreign Policy in PNG