Admission requirements
None.
Description
This course offers an exploration of video journalism, blending theoretical insights with hands-on practice. Students will delve into contemporary research on video journalism while mastering the fundamentals of producing, filming, and editing TV news reports and online videos. The curriculum introduces diverse approaches to visual storytelling and addresses ethical challenges faced by video reporters in the field.
The course also encourages critical reflection on the evolving media landscape, tracing the transition through to the current dominance of online news reporting. Key questions include: “How does a TV news report differ from a documentary-style web video?” and “How can video be integrated with other storytelling formats in an online context?”
As a course in journalism, it emphasizes the importance of robust debate and the protection of freedom of speech, fostering an environment where students can openly engage with complex ideas and challenge prevailing narratives.
Course Objectives
Through a combination of theoretical exploration and practical application, this course empowers students to critically engage with the field of video journalism and actively create their own visual narratives.
After successful completion of this course, students are able to:
record and edit/produce their own TV news reports and web videos, i.e., master the basic skills of filming, getting natural sound, interviewing, editing, writing and voicing video reports;
explain how and why decisions are made in television news, including the ethical dilemmas faced by the journalists;
critically reflect on various theories and concepts related to academic research into video journalism;
understand the strengths and the weaknesses of audio-visual journalism.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2025-2026 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
Theory-focused lectures are combined with discussion sessions during which groups of students take control; These sessions will be dedicated to student presentations in which they discuss the theories from the lectures, supplemented by their own (current) video examples.
In addition, seminars will deal with the various skills needed to produce video reports. There will be time in the final session for student-produced videos to be shown and critically discussed in class.
Assessment Method
In-class participation (presence, preparing assigned reading, completing minor assignments in time, being active in discussions …): 10%
News report: 20%
Presentation + in-class discussion: 45%
Web video: 25%
Reading list
Reading materials will be announced in class and made available through Brightspace.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Astrid Vandendaele, a.vandendaele@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Willem van Rooijen, w.van.rooijen@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
-