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Health Journalism

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:4.00
Study Course Accepted:26.10.2020 17:38:36
Study Course Information
Course Code:KSK_229LQF level:Level 7
Credit Points:2.00ECTS:3.00
Branch of Science:Communication Sciences; Library ScienceTarget Audience:Information and Communication Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:Anda Rožukalne
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:Faculty of Communication
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:Riga, Dzirciema Street 16, kfkoatrsu[pnkts]lv, +371 67409183
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)8Lecture Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Lectures16
Classes (count)2Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes4
Total Contact Hours20
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
The course “Communication Theories, Principles, Ethics and Rights” mastered.
Objective:
Give graduate students understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of health journalism, analysing different types of media practices, professional and ethical issues in health journalism in media of Latvia, EU and other countries.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Basics of health journalism: approaches and practices. Quality and fake information in health journalism.Lectures1.00auditorium
2Health journalism in professional media and social media in Latvia.Lectures1.00auditorium
3Analysis of health journalism examples in the EU and other countries of the world.Lectures1.00auditorium
4Legal basis for health journalism.Lectures1.00auditorium
5Information collection methods in health journalism and issues of professional ethics.Lectures1.00auditorium
6Health journalism sources, their structure, responsibilities and rights.Lectures1.00auditorium
7Issues of professional relationship between journalists and doctors. Doctors as sources of information and authors.Lectures1.00auditorium
8Current topics in health journalism; analysis of health journalism examples.Lectures1.00auditorium
9Preparing and presenting health journalism material (an article, audio or video story).Classes2.00auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Students have to independently prepare for classes by reading the compulsory literature for each topic and by selecting at least one text from the recommended additional literature. Preparation of the test assignment.
Assessment Criteria:
Knowledge of the basic issues of the topics covered, the ability to apply the knowledge in planning, managing and analysing practical projects (assessed on a 10-point grading scale).
Final Examination (Full-Time):Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:Students acquire knowledge of: • Health media system and health journalism. • Assessment criteria for health journalism. • Ethics and legal aspects of health journalism. • Sources of health journalism and criteria for their selection.
Skills:• Recognise the manifestations of health journalism. • Understand professional approaches in health journalism. • Use knowledge of health journalism in improving its quality. • Apply knowledge to improve the quality of health journalism. • Analyse health journalism practices.
Competencies:Recognise, organise, prepare and evaluate health journalism by assessing its professional quality, ethics and legal issues.
Bibliography
No.Reference
Required Reading
1Statement of Principles for Health Care Journalists Gary Schwitzer, http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/file?id=10.13…
2Frost Chris, Journalism Ethics and Regulation, NewYork: Routledge, 2016.
3Robert G. Picard and Minhee Yeo, Medical and Health News and Information inthe UK Media: Current State of Knowledge. State of Public News and Information in the UK on Health and Health Care Research Project, Reuters Institute of Journalism Study, https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/fi… Views of health journalists, industry employees and news consumers about disclosure and regulation of industry-journalist relationships: an empirical ethical study. J Med Ethics. 2015 Mar;41(3):252-7. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2013-101790. Epub 2014 Mar 6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24603036
4Views of health journalists, industry employees and news consumers about disclosure and regulation of industry-journalist relationships: an empirical ethical study, Journals of Medical Ethics, http://jme.bmj.com/content/41/3/252.alerts
5Big Tobacco and the Hound of Hell. Tracking Cigarette Companies’ Strategy for Developing Countries. By Ricardo Sandoval, Center of Health Journalism, https://www.centerforhealthjournalism.org/resources/lessons…
6Media law, ethics and regulation, http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zyt282p/revision/2
7Media coverage of health issues and how to work more effectively with journalists: a qualitative study, Julie Leask, Claire Hooker and Catherine King, BMC Public Health201010:535, https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/…
8Caulfield T (2004) The commercialisation of medical and scientific reporting. PLoS Med 1: e38.
Additional Reading
1Finding and Evaluating Online Resources on Health Issues, https://nccih.nih.gov/health/webresources
2'Of All the Categories of Fake News, Health News Is the Worst', The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/06/of-all-t…
3NHS looks into Labour campaign group's 'fake news' poster claiming health service will cost £4,500 a year in insurance premiums from 2018, The Telegraph
4Revealed: How Dangerous Fake Health News Conquerred Facebook, Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families…
5The Fake Freedom of American Health Care, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/opinion/the-fake-freedom…
Other Information Sources
1Doctus, Bonus Medicus, Latvijas Ārsts, Veselība, Ievas Veselība, rutks.lv, la.lv