Investigative Journalism MA

Investigative Journalism – Skills And Theory

This module introduces two core themes of the programme: The underpinning knowledge that we need to be effective practitioners and the scholarly analysis of the world of the investigative reporter. You will study the range of law which affects journalists, including libel, copyright, contempt, privacy and confidentiality, freedom of information and data protection. There will also be a detailed introduction to regulatory frameworks such as Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code, and an exploration of wider ethical issues. Political structures and politicians, at all levels, are integral to almost all stories also form a focus of the module. Additionally, we explore the history of journalism and how that has been perceived by the academic community.

Introduction to Practical Investigative Journalism

This workshop-based module is where you get your hands dirty and begin to produce journalism. We begin by looking at where stories come from and how we develop the narrative around those stories. A variety of experts will share the tricks of their trade in a wide range of practical skills, from interview techniques to dealing with the technology to get those stories in to the public arena.

Investigative Journalism – Global Perspectives

This module builds on the basic theoretical frameworks of earlier modules and applies them to the in-depth study of significant investigations. There will also be a focus on dealing with complex data – knowing how to read a financial spreadsheet has been the source of many key investigations. Visiting speakers will explore how video investigative journalism is done in other countries around the world. Students can also learn about the research methods appropriate for the production of master’s level projects and dissertations.

Advanced Practical Investigative Journalism

Throughout the programme there is an emphasis on applying material from each module to practical situations. But this module is where everything comes together and you use the skills and competencies you have learned to produce journalist pieces. There will also be more advanced work with editing, production and dealing with specialist equipment . Industry experts will be on hand to make sure students understand the current markets for their work and how to pitch and complete their ideas.

Final project

You will have a choice of options for your final project which is completed over the summer. It is expected that most students will produce, ideally on their own , a piece of investigative journalism suitable for broadcast by one of the mainstream outlets. A traditional 15,000 word dissertation may be selected in lieu of this.

Please note that details of these modules are correct at time of publication, but are subject to review each year, so may vary.

You will experience a wide range of teaching styles and environments, from traditional lectures and seminars to intensive skills workshops, news days and studio work. As a postgraduate student, you will be increasingly responsible for developing your own professional practice  and working with other course members to produce pieces of journalism.

You will be working collaboratively with undergraduate students and other postgraduate students from our portfolio of related journalism courses including on events.

This is an intensive programme and you should be aware that full-time engagement will be expected throughout.

There will be a diverse range of assessments, including traditional essays, presentations, case studies and reports, as well as continuous assessment of professional practice. These culminate in your final project or dissertation. 

Contact and learning hours

You will normally attend at least 12 hours of timetabled taught sessions per week. As part of this, you will be expected to produce substantial amounts of journalism outside of class.

Current staff on the programme include:

Dr Richard Danbury

Richard Danbury has a background in law, journalism and academia. He practiced briefly as a criminal barrister, before joining the BBC, where he worked for about a decade. He worked in news and current affairs, specializing in interviews and investigations, working for extended periods on programmes such as Newsnight and Panorama, and was Deputy Editor of the 2010 BBC Prime Ministerial Debate. He then became freelance, and has since worked for Channel 4, Sky and ITN, and continues to work on live political programmes. He was part of teams that won two Royal Television Society Awards, and a New York Festivals medal, and his work has been nominated for other awards. 

His undergraduate degree is in philosophy from Cambridge, he took his doctorate at Oxford, writing a thesis that considered questions of media law and theory. He then completed two years’ post-doctoral research back at Cambridge, researching copyright and news, where he teaches freedom of information law on the LLM. He has coordinated Channel 4’s investigative journalism training scheme for a number of years, and continues to do so.

David Hayward

David Hayward is a journalist, writer and media consultant. He works with news organisations, governments, NGOs and charities, designing online video, digital media and crisis communications strategies. David was a journalist at the BBC for 18 years. He worked across the organisation, as a reporter, producer and senior editor, in network radio, TV and for the BBC World Service Trust in Bosnia, Albania and Romania. His most recent role was head of the BBC Journalism Programme. The programme was designed to keep the BBC at the vanguard of the digital news revolution. He established and turned it into an internationally renowned series of conferences, master-classes, debates, workshops and training courses. These included the BBC Social Media Summits in partnership with the New York Times. 

David has a strong track record of leading teams at the forefront of the move into multi-skilled, multi-media working. He was editor of the first BBC multi-media newsroom and led several high-profile projects, including the BBC’s Local TV pilot. He lectures and writes about ethics and the changing nature of journalism and is regularly invited to speak at conferences in the UK and internationally.

Pervez Khan

Pervez Khan is a senior Producer/Director and Series Producer across both film and TV documentary. His portfolio of work stretches over 17 years and includes flagship current affairs investigations for Channel 4's Dispatches and BBC's Panorama strands. His work has won several Royal Television Society awards, a BAFTA nomination, a Sandford and a host of international awards.

Pervez's undergraduate degree was in history and film, but his specialisms concentrate on his ever-evolving knowledge of current documentary production and broadcast investigation techniques. His aim is to bring a flavour of today's broadcast industry into the classroom.

Hannah Cogan

Hannah is a producer, filmmaker, and investigative journalist who has worked across documentaries and current affairs in Britain and North America. She has worked in strains including Dispatches and Unreported World, as well as producing for Channel 4 News. She took part in the Investigative Journalism Training Scheme at Channel 4 and holds an MA in Investigative Journalism from City University. Prior to working in television, she assisted in investigations at The Times and Private Eye.

Hannah teaches and trains journalists and filmmakers at the secondary school, university, and professional levels. She teaches the secondary school journalism program at Queen's College, Cambridge, lectures on the JOUR5101 and JOUR5103 modules at DMU, and trains journalists in research and filming techniques for Channel 4

Professor Stuart Price

Stuart is Professor of Media and Political Discourse, Chair of the Media Discourse Group, co-editor of the books series ‘Protest, Media and Culture’ (including ‘Sites of Protest’, 2016), and the author of a number of monographs, book chapters and articles on Media, Communication and Politics (including ‘Worst-case Scenario’, 2011). He is also programme leader for the MA course Global Media. A highly experienced PhD supervisor, Stuart’s research interests include the role of journalists in the dissemination of meaning, news discourses and the ‘war on terror’.