4.  Which medium or platform do you intend to publish your story in? Newspapers? Magazine? Online? The medium will dictate how extensive/in-depth your opinion piece will be.

5.  What kind of impact or effect do you want to leave on your readers? How do you want them to feel/react after reading your piece?

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Firstly, pick an issue close to your heart that you want to write about and make sure you have a strong, evidence-based opinion on the issue. Outline the main points you want to make. (e.g. you want to write about climate change issues, and you believe the fight will be spearheaded by young people. You can write about how you and other young people are doing your part to act on climate change, drawing from various news articles and personal experiences. You can interview one or two other young people to comment on your story as well).

2.  Then, write a feature story on a topic relevant to the section you had chosen that is between 2 to 5 pages..

3.  You need to do adequate research to plan and build on your story to ensure that whatever views and opinions you want to promote and share, they are credible. As such, leverage on issues that are currently trending which you are passionate or care about.

4.  Before writing the story, like any journalist or columnist in the newsroom, you will need to pitch this story idea first to the editor (which is your module coordinator). This will take place in Week 2 or 3. Your story pitch will need to satisfactorily address the five questions that were outlined above.

5.  You will need to quote and prioritise the majority of your whole writing from a minimum of THREE   CREDIBLE PEOPLE/SOURCES to lend credibility to your story. If you are quoting a person,  ensure he/she has considerable expertise to comment on the issue. If it is from a previously published source,  ensure it is fact-checked, accurate and credible.

SUBMISSION FORMAT

1.  Submission of this assignment will be made through myTIMeS in PDF format only. Your submission needs to include the following: Assignment cover sheet (first page) Title page – your opinion article’s headline and your byline + student ID +  Publication name (where do you envision this story being published?)

2.  Your feature article (2 to 5 pages, 1.5 paragraph spacing, Times New Roman font 12)

3.  You may include any accompanying images with photo captions and source.

4.  List of references used

5.  Please include Turnitin Report in the submission. The plagiarism percentage cannot be more than 10%

6.  Feedback form (last page)

Assessment 2: Group Assignment - Developing an Online Media Website

Writing for media encompasses many different forms of written works and styles. In this module, you have learned a range of writing from factual news and human-interest stories to promotional writing. In this major group assignment, it is necessary for you to draw upon the various learning outcomes from the entire module including that of news writing, feature writing, promotional writing, broadcast writing as well as editing techniques.

You are required to:

1.  Form into groups of 6 - 8 (maximum 8)

2.  Research

3.  Interview

4.  Write

5.  Video shoot

6.  Edit

7.  Design

Some possible examples include music, theatre, dance, performing arts, fine arts, spoken words, film, animation, literature, photography, video games, visual arts, and design etc.

Points to note:

1.  Every piece of writing that makes up the website content needs to be ORIGINAL and non-plagiarised from any existing resource.

2.  The design and layout of the website is up to you, and it need not be overly complex.

ASSESSMENT

1.  Gather, generate, and communicate messages by combining, synthesizing, or reapplying new and existing information through various media platforms.

2.  Demonstrate suitable media writing and editing styles for print, broadcast and online media platforms.

3.  Develop, interpret, and express ideas through written and verbal communication.

4.  Working collaboratively in a team.

THEMES

Some possible examples include current issues, music, performing arts, fine arts, spoken words, film, animation, literature, photography, video games, visual arts and design etc.

GROUP WORK

1.  Flexibility and divergent thinking

2.  Demonstrate disciplinary convention and display organisation

3.  Build positive relationships, establish, and maintain cooperative relationships and actively participate within a group (Measuring: Relationship Management and Active Participation)

4.  There will be a peer assessment for this assignment

Assessment 3: Portfolio of Writing Works

Throughout Weeks 8 to 12, you will complete a series of 3 to 4 in-class writing tasks designed to reflect real-world media writing scenarios. These tasks will help you strengthen practical skills across different media formats, including news writing, social media content creation, and broadcast scripting. Each task will simulate professional standards and expectations, allowing you to apply what you've learned in class to realistic and engaging assignments. This hands-on approach will prepare you for the fast-paced demands of the media industry.

Assessment Criteria

1.  Relevance and clarity of content

2.  Correct use of media writing styles and formats

3.  Creativity and multimedia integration

4.  Language accuracy and journalistic tone

5.  Timeliness of submission