Are you excited by the world of radio, TV, social media and digital news and keen to be part of this constantly evolving industry?
Do you want to study in the region that’s home to Channel 4, ITN Productions and BBC Yorkshire?
This Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC)-accredited Broadcast and Digital Journalism degree combines advanced vocational training with academic study to prepare you for your career in journalism. It is designed to develop your practical broadcast and digital skills and show you the reality of delivering news to a range of audiences using online and traditional broadcast formats.
Our journalism graduates have secured jobs at the BBC, ITV, a range of newspapers and online sites as well as finding work in related areas such as public relations and digital marketing.
Broadcast and Digital Journalism is challenging and exciting work and from day one of your course you will be expected to think and act like a journalist. You’ll gain the broadcast and digital skills needed to enter the dynamic and ever-evolving news industry.
Our award-winning journalists will teach you how to source, research and compile stories and features. You’ll film and edit both on-the-go with MOJO (mobile journalism) skills and more considered digital pieces in our dedicated newsrooms equipped with industry-standard technologies and in specialist radio, podcast and television studio spaces.
You’ll learn how to write for the broadcast media, as well as developing transferable multi-media skills relevant for broadcast journalism, content creation and other news-related communication fields.
Throughout this degree, you’ll develop your ability to investigate, record, write, edit, present and produce news and factual programming. You’ll gain an understanding of the broader news media and society, the context in which news is produced in the 21st century along with the social, ethical and political impact of journalism today.
We aim to develop you as a journalist with a strong ethical practice and sense of social justice. Ethics are embedded throughout all the practical and theoretical work you’ll do; this includes the regulatory frameworks for industry as well as broader questions around widening the range of voices in our media to reflect the society we live in and providing equality of opportunity across a diverse population.
You’ll put your journalism skills into practice by completing professional work placements during your degree. You'll also take part in in-house news days, live broadcasting locally, regionally and internationally as well as reporting for our own TV news magazine show Yorkshire Voice.
In your final year, you’ll have the opportunity to gain additional work experience working with an employer on a live project. You’ll be supported to develop a professional portfolio of work to prepare for your future career. We also offer opportunities to study, work or volunteer abroad as well as take part in international collaborations on TV and social media projects, where you can work with students across the globe.
Our course is highly valued by employers thanks to its Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) accreditation, which recognises its relevance and responsiveness to the operational demands of the broadcast industry.
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
During your first year, you will study two core modules.
Drawing together the essential skills you need to be a journalist, you'll do a combination of practical and theoretical work.
Practical journalism
You'll cover news and factual content writing, online presentation, SEO, social media, visual communication, TV, radio, photography, interviewing, news sourcing and story development. If you're a Sports Journalism student you'll make sports-related content.
There will be no more than 15 students in each broadcast workshop and 30 in other classes.
Media law and regulation
You'll get an introduction to media law and industry regulation (IPSO and Ofcom). You'll also get voice training if you're a Broadcast Journalist student.
Theoretical journalism
You'll learn academic skills such as literature searching, citation and referencing, and academic writing. We'll also introduce you to theoretical concepts and the role of journalism in society.
Professional development
You'll get an introduction to the industry and the standards required in the workplace.
We'll increasingly focus on multimedia production as we draw together the essential skills journalists need through practical and theoretical learning.
Practical journalism
You'll cover news and factual content writing, online presentation, SEO, social media, visual communication, radio, television, mobile journalism, photography, interviewing, news sourcing, story development and audience analytics.
You'll also be working in live newsroom production.
If you're studying Sports Journalism, you'll make sports-related content.
There will be no more than 15 students in each broadcast workshop and 30 in other classes.
Theoretical journalism
You'll learn academic skills such as literature searching, citation and referencing, and academic writing.
You'll explore theoretical concepts and the role of journalism and see how these perspectives align with practical work, media practice and being a journalist.
Professional development
You'll prepare to work in professional environments.
You'll also do a work placement or professional challenge project.
During your second year, you will study three core modules and will be required to choose one option module.
Taking part in at least 15 newsdays, you'll refresh and extend your reporting skills, including sourcing stories, interviewing, news writing and photography and image editing skills.
You'll learn about radio and podcasting and the current context within which they operate, including Ofcom, and examine the different marketplaces and audiences relevant to radio and podcasts. We'll teach you interview skills, writing for radio or podcast, audio editing and the skills needed to compile, write and deliver a news bulletin or podcast.
You'll explore video storytelling conventions for online and social media platforms, and the wider use of social media platforms to promote and tell stories. You'll learn the associated conventions and techniques of online and social video, including the technical skills required to shoot on a mobile device and edit and publish video online and to social media.
You'll learn effective writing for both an online and social media audience, including the need to meet ethical and legal considerations and will extend your online publication skills to create more sophisticated online stories, considering the importance of SEO and analytics in driving traffic.
You’ll also complete a minimum of 10-days industry placements.
You'll get vital insight, knowledge and an awareness of professional roles, public affairs and the regulatory responsibilities of journalists.
We'll give you a critical understanding of the political and commercial structures within which the media operate.
These include parliament, NHS, treasury, welfare, the EU, councils, education, elections and the constitution.
You'll be encouraged to use academic thinking around journalism to frame your understanding of power and influence connected to global coverage of current affairs and your future journalistic practice.
Critical analysis is an important part of the module, developing your academic skills.
Develop your production and story-telling skills, working as a team to produce a seven-minute short film.
You'll learn the process of development, research, production, post-production, and the crucial role of narrative structure.
We'll explore the ethics behind the creative treatment of actuality, and provide a theoretical understanding of the role of non-fiction media products and their historical development.
You'll create a varied portfolio of magazine and feature writing through practical exercises.
These will involve using authoritative sources, research and interview skills, writing styles and the role of the internet for research and publication.
We'll explore the magazine market and develop your craft production skills, allowing you to create your own magazine.
As a sports journalist, you will cover a West Yorkshire team or sport as a patch reporter for ten weeks.
You'll go to press conferences, games and events and file content to an outward-facing sports news online platform.
During your third year, you will study three core modules and will be required to choose one option module.
You'll have the opportunity to undertake a practical work-based project, intervention or professional development project in a workplace setting. You'll be expected to negotiate a project with your work partner or prior placement provider that meets the needs of yourself and Leeds Trinity University.
This will enable you to develop and negotiate learning outcomes and assessment modes that provide you with the flexibility to apply both theoretical understanding and practical work-based development to a chosen context.
Focussing on court reporting, regulatory codes and media law, you'll study topics including defamation, contempt of court, reporting restrictions, copyright and privacy.
You'll go to court to write a story for your portfolio. There's also an internal exam.
You'll get a sound knowledge and understanding of law and regulation (IPSO, Ofcom and IMPRESS) with a focus on industry disciplines and best practice whilst working as a Journalist.
You'll take part in at least 15 television and social media newsdays.
You will learn practical skills used to capture and edit television and social media content, including TV production and presentation.
Working on real-life case studies, you'll examine the context of public relations and promotions in the media and explore the methods used by industry professionals.
Techniques include news releases, media relations, events, social media and digital promotions.
You'll produce a portfolio and presentation as part of a team.
You'll get to work on real-life case studies and attend talks by business partners and guest speakers from the industry.
During the module, you'll contribute to a live radio show broadcast on BCB Radio and produce a three-minute radio news package.
You'll edit audio using Adobe Audition's multi-track editor, and learn about radio programme production and advanced storytelling using audio.
You'll get a deeper understanding of radio and podcast production.
Consolidate your skills from your degree course by producing a dissertation, a work-based learning project with a portfolio, or an artefact (which could be a portfolio).
All routes involve detailed research, working with university supervision and relevant sources, experts, industry professionals and work partners.
Experience matters. That's why we embed professional work placements within the majority of our standard undergraduate degrees.
Careers+Placements will work with you to find a placement or help you to arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.
During your placement, you could have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.
Students have completed their professional work placements in local radio stations, including the BBC and commercial radio, regional and local television and production companies.
Recent placements, work experience and trips include Premier League Productions, News UK, Bradford City FC, Channel 4, BCB radio, Daisybeck Productions, True North Productions, C5 News, BBC Radio Leeds and Steph’s Packed Lunch.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.
Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.
Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.
The following information is designed to give you a general overview of the qualifications we accept. If you are taking qualifications that are not included below, please contact our Admissions Office who will be happy to advise you.
| UCAS tariff | 112-104 |
For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.
On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.
As part of your application, you'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.
There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our Admissions team who will be happy to help:
Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.
Our journalism graduates have gone on to work in local BBC Radio, BBC World Sports Service, local and regional television, and as multimedia journalists for regional newspapers.
The course prepares you for various roles, which may include: Journalist, Researcher, PR, Vlogger, Reporter, Podcaster, Marketing Manager, Social Media Manager, Producer, Broadcast Assistant, and Project Manager.
After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit: