Journalism Department

The department of journalism at Liverpool John Moores University felt it important to develop journalism training and research firmly rooted in good practice and so decided to start and develop the Centre for Responsible Journalism as a way of developing such good practice and fostering a climate within the department that would root student’s journalism firmly in responsible professional behaviour.

This applies particularly to the department’s aims to:

• The development of a portfolio of distinctive courses allowing the successful participation of a wide range of students, particularly including those presently under-represented in HE and journalism.
• The development of research and scholarly activity that will build and promote the reputation of the department both nationally and internationally.
• The development of enterprise to improve partnership but also to generate income to provide the additional resources required for a flagship journalism department.

The Centre for Responsible Journalism was launched as a focus for responsible journalism within the department and as a branding tool for income generation and for research. Building research in a department with little tradition of it required the gradual development and training of staff.

The Centre allows all staff to play an important part in this development by ensuring all are working to the same aim: the development of the centre and therefore the enhancement of the department’s reputation. Many of the staff are involved with enterprise through media training, career development training, master classes, school development days and so on. These fund the research of those involved in research, but also allow funding of developmental courses, sabbaticals, visiting lecturers, clerical assistance and the buying out of teaching hours. This should allow those who have no research experience to develop their scholarly activity and move it into research.

It is intended that the CfRJ will develop a unique brand that will be well known throughout the industry for training and research and will become a major player within the industry and those involved with it, providing a well-respected reputation for journalism at JMU.

The CfRJ will prove useful as a focus for industry partnership. This development sits hand in glove with research and the activities envisaged for the CfRJ. The CfRJ will run courses, arrange guest lectures, lead avenues of research and scholarly activity and inculcate a climate of serious study of responsible journalism.

Journalism students from LJMU's Liverpool Screen School

http://www.jmu-journalism.org.uk/ is the all-platforms news website produced by Journalism students from LJMU's Liverpool Screen School. The site, 'Liverpool Life', provides news in video, audio and text, as it showcases the best of the Journalism students' coursework. Click here to visit site