For many people, the media is the only way they interact with any kind of scientific information. However the way science is presented by media outlets can influence the way society perceives issues, and consequently how they respond to them. This course examines the roles and relationships between science, journalists and society and the factors which influence them. Through this course you will learn how to critically appraise how information is presented in news media, as well as how to write for the media. This course will equip you with practical skills to make science relevant and engaging in a range of contexts, far beyond the media. It will also help you to understand why some scientific issues are so polarising, and how to effectively communicate in contested spaces.

Honours Pathway Option

Subject to the approval of the course convenor, students may elect to take this as an HPO course. Under this option, students will complete a research report instead of the report or portfolio. Students must confirm which path they wish to take by week 4 of semester.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand the competing interests and priorities of scientists, professional science communicators, journalists and audiences
2. Identify and apply the values and techniques that journalists use when deciding whether and how to report issues
3. Discuss and analyse the role of media influence on the factors which affect public perceptions of scientific issues

Research-Led Teaching

This course encompasses the four main aspects of research-led teaching. There is a focus on research content; the curriculum is structured around the existing body of literature in the field and the core theoretical understandings. Students are encouraged to actively critique and reflect upon the literature in their own analyses of science in the media. This provides students with a sense of the research process and problems as the course examines how the ‘treatment’ of science in the media has changed over time, and how the concept of ‘best practice’ has also evolved. The course also contains a core element of research process, as students are required to undertake their own original research for the majority of the assessment tasks.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Mon AM. What is science journalism? The role of journalists, scientists and science communicators
2	Mon PM. What makes news, and how to write it
3	Tue AM. Translating complex information
4	Tue PM. Practical skills for communicating science to the media
5	Wed AM. Framing, agenda setting and trust	Press release due 9am, Wednesday 2nd April
6	Wed PM. Storytelling
7	Thu AM. Representations in the media
8	Thur PM. The future of journalism
9	Fri AM. Guest lecture (TBC)
10	Fri PM. Group presentations	Presentations will be held Friday 4th April, in class

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Press release	10 %	02/04/2025	1,2
Presentation	15 %	04/04/2025	1,2,3
Writing assignment	25 %	17/04/2025	1,2
Report or Portfolio	50 %	18/06/2025	1,2,3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Classes run as a mix of lecture and workshop/tutorial style activity. You are required to actively contribute to discussions.

Assessment Task 1

Press release

This task is designed to give you a taste of what it is like to work as a journalist or as a communications professional. You will be given a scenario on Tuesday afternoon. You are required to write a press release, using the appropriate structure and layout, and submit by 9am the following morning (Wednesday). Your press release should be no more than one (1) A4 page, follow the inverted pyramid structure and include the 5W1H. It should also include the date, contact details for the communication officer/contact person (you can make this up) and when the information can be released. This information will be covered in class and you will have notes/templates to refer to. 

Length: One A4 page. Anything longer will lose 5%.

Deadline: 9am 2nd April is a hard deadline. You are welcome to submit earlier but extensions for this task are unlikely to be granted unless for truly exceptional circumstances.

Marked assessment will be returned within two weeks of submission.

Assessment Task 2

Presentation

Throughout the week, you will be working in groups to explore a scientific topic that has received extensive media coverage, using the different themes and concepts in class. On the Friday afternoon, each group is required to do a short (10 minutes max) presentation on their topic.

The presentation should outline the topic chosen, how it has been covered in the media (with respect to the topics and issues covered in class and the research literature as and where appropriate) and the resulting relationship between the chosen topic, media and society.

In creating this presentation you will need to explore how this topic has been covered in various media sources. The media sources you choose need to be clearly articulated and justified. 

Length - no more than 10 minutes

Grading criteria - more detailed rubric available on course site

Marked assessment will be returned within two weeks of submission.

Rubric

Presentation quality - presenters	Presentation quality - content	Quality of information

Assessment Task 3

Writing assignment

In this assignment you must choose one recent journal article (published within the last 12 months) from a science, technology, engineering, mathematics or medicine related journal and turn it into a news story of no more than 350 words. Please also include a brief description (no more than 150 words) of why you selected this research to write about – why is it suitable for coverage in a news story?

Assessment criteria

1. Choosing a suitable topic: Is the paper you have chosen recent and the findings interesting to a general reader? Think about WHY it is newsworthy and use that to justify your choice.
2. Effective explanation: You need to identify the substance of the research and explain the science clearly, presenting it accurately.
3. Appropriate style (upside down triangle): This is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the news style. You need to include the relevant items, e.g. who, what, where, when, why and how.
4. Clear expression and flow: This relates to the readability of your writing, whether you have proofread the work, and whether you have correctly pitched the story to the audience.
5. Attribution: Identifying the paper, researchers and their organisation/s (so the reader can track down the source). Any quotes are properly attributed to the speaker and/or the source of the quote.
6. Short and catchy pull out: Taken straight from the news article text, it ‘grabs’ the reader.

Word limit: 500 words in total (350 words for the news story and 150 words for the description as described above). Exceeding the word limit will attract a 5% penalty.

Presentation requirements (excluded from word count): 

• Headline
• Pull out quote: (This is a phrase or sentence reprinted somewhere on the page, taken directly from the text)
• Word count

Marked assessment will be returned within two weeks of submission.

Assessment Task 4

Report or Portfolio

Choose one of these options. Both require research but will allow you to focus on the area and output style which interests you.

Report

The objective of this task is to critically evaluate the media coverage of a scientific issue which has gained significant media attention, and to understand the roles and influences of stakeholders, audiences and various journalistic approaches. The report is a case study of a particular scientific topic and how it has been presented in the media - of all kinds. You will need to collect data in the forms of media coverage and then present your analysis in a report. This is both a group AND an individual submission.

Group component - dataset (10 marks)

In groups of no more than four, determine what topic you wish to explore. Then develop a data collection strategy (sources, date range etc) and collect the data. Divide the workload up between you. For example one person collects all the articles from a particular newspaper, another from an online news source, another from a social media site (including comments and reactions) and the final group member might look at a podcast or documentary. As a group, submit a one page description of your data collection strategy and a folder of the articles/links/posts you collected. This can be the actual items themselves or hyperlinks to them with a description. More detail in class. This group submission is worth 10 marks.

Individual component - report (40 marks)

Present a report (max 2,500 words) which includes an introduction of the issue, analysis of the data collected and discuss the findings in relation to the topics covered in class. This could include things like who writes about the topic, who is quoted or used as sources, who the stakeholders are and what their agendas might be, how the topic is framed and what kinds of perceptions are held by audiences. Your conclusions should be clearly argued and justified with examples and reference to the research literature where appropriate. More information in class and on the course site under 'Assignments'.

Portfolio

For those who wish to build expertise in science writing, this assignment option requires you to develop a portfolio of work. This should include:

• at least two blog posts (300 words each) or five social media posts (up to 200 words each) on a scientific topic (can be related - ie all astronomy - or on a variety)
• a feature article which draws on interview/s with researcher/s (800 - 1,000 words)
• an article for The Conversation (800 words)

Other format options are possible; please check with the convenor.

The portfolio is worth 50%. This option will still require research and the additional process of interviewing sources for at least the feature article. More details on the course site under 'Assignments'.

Exceeding the specified word limit in any component of either task will attract a penalty of 5%.

Marked assessment will be returned within two weeks of submission.

Honours Pathway Option

Subject to the approval of the course convenor, students may elect to take this as an HPO course. Under this option, students will complete a research report instead of the report or portfolio. Students must confirm which path they wish to take by week 4 of semester. The HPO will require you to complete a variation on the report, at a higher conceptual level requiring more advanced research. Exact requirements will be discussed and confirmed with students who wish to pursue this option.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through the integrated plagiarism checker on the course site.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

Once graded, assignments will be returned via the course site within two weeks of submission.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmission of assignments is only possible under extraordinary circumstances. Generally, resubmission will not be an option.  

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students