MECO6924: Semester 1, 2026

Units MECO6924 Semester 1 2026 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

MECO6924: Television and Video Journalism

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit will give students a grounding in reporting for Television Journalism as well as Video for online publication from the idea to final story. Students will learn how to record video using professional standard equipment. Students will also learn how to script and edit sound and vision for Television reporting packages. Students will learn about production planning - including multi-camera Television Studio operations - as well as the ethical and legal considerations which underpin current multimedia and convergent working environments.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Media and Communications
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	MECO6900
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	David Varga, david.varga@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Creative work	Vox Pops Compile at least 4 vox pops (no MECO6924 classmates), edited into 40 sec video+intro read script.	30%	Week 06 Due date: 02 Apr 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 21 Apr 2026	40 (+/-3) seconds + written intro script	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Creative work	News Story Brief Class pitch and written outline of news story.	25%	Week 08 Due date: 26 Apr 2026 at 23:59	Approx 500 words per person.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Creative work	Broadcast News Package Groups to script, film and edit a completed news package with TV studio read in week 13, plus 30 second social media edit specific to identified platform. More details on Canvas	45%	Week 13 Due date: 30 May 2026 at 23:59	1.40-1.50 min 2 interviews, script	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Learning and Teaching Policy 2024

View rubrics on Canvas for specific assessment criteria relevant to each assignment. As a general guide for grading, see below.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Exceptional standard of learning outcomes
Distinction	75 - 84	Very high standard of learning outcomes
Credit	65 - 74	Good standard of learning outcomes
Pass	50 - 64	Acceptable standard of learning outcomes
Fail	0 - 49	Learning outcomes not met satisfactorily

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to MECO6924, assessments, and professional standards for television and video journalism.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 01	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to vox pops, story selection, ethics, consent, and basic FX30 camera and sound techniques.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Practical vox pops production focusing on framing, interviewing, and camera/audio recording techniques in the field.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Continued vox pops production consolidating technical skills and designing shot coverage for broadcast news editing.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Introduction to editing news content in Premiere Pro, including basic workflow, sequencing, and audio essentials.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Development of fine-cut editing skills with an emphasis on pacing, clarity, and editorial judgment. A1 vox pops submission due.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Transition to a longer news package format focusing on story structure, scripting, and production planning.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Students pitch news package ideas and receive feedback on viability, ethics, and logistics prior to A2 submission.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Advanced interviewing techniques, three-point lighting, continuity essentials, and presentation in the TV studio.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	TV studio-based production covering newsreading, studio roles, broadcast workflows, and package compiles.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Refinement of final news package design, including social media edits, studio background GFX and data visualisations, voiceovers, and troubleshooting.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Final preparation of news packages for submission, studio compilation, and presentation.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	TV studio records for final student news packages. A3 submissions due.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Weekly Lecture as per canvas outline	Lecture (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Primary course reference book. Please download from Canvas and keep close for any questions about broadcast journalism and production.

Broadcast journalism : techniques of radio and television news.
Book | Stewart, Peter (Peter John), author., Alexander, Ray, author., Eighth edition / Peter Stewart, Ray
Alexander., London, Routledge, 2021

See canvas specific readings relating to course themes.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate an understanding of what is required to produce television and video packages of broadcast quality with the following technical skills: operating a camera; presenting to camera; video and audio editing
LO2. display sound editorial judgment and professional, journalistic writing skills
LO3. express a thorough understanding of news values
LO4. communicate news in an engaging and creative way
LO5. demonstrate an awareness of the role of visual journalism in a convergent production environment.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Assignment 1 is a series of short interviews which will be shot in class time weeks 3 and 4. Students learn to edit by compiling these interviews during class time. No 6924 class mates can feature in this piece. Week 13 is the final compile of studio reads for the major news package assignment.

Additional information

A 1TB SSD will be supplied to students for use during the semester but must be returned to the DMU. Students are strongly advised to purchase a 1TB external hard drive for backing up their projects and for storage of work after the end of semester.

USYD production labs operate on Apple macOS systems. If you have a hard drive that is formatted for a PC, you will need to reformat it to be compatible with macOS. Please note: Reformatting a drive will erase all documents, videos, and other files stored on it, so ensure you back up your data before proceeding.

Work, health and safety

Please wear enclosed shoes to every class.

TV studio safety

NO thongs, sandals, flip flops or open toed shoes. Students who wear inappropriate footwear will be asked to leave the TV Studio and will not be able to participate in practical seminars.

NO food or drink is allowed in the TV Studio, control rooms or labs.

If the BIG RED LIGHT is visible outside the studio, wait outside until the studio door is opened. Pounding on the door is not acceptable professional behaviour.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links