Course syllabus

 

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COMMS 303/SPORT 203: Sports Media    

 Points:                  15

Pre-requisites:  15 points from COMMS 200-209 and 15 points in BA courses or by application to the course  

                            convenor.

Lectures:       Monday  12-2pm, 8 Eden Cres, Room 209 (801.209)

                            TV Studio, KMC, Shortland Street  (2 weeks only)                                                            

Convenor:       Dr Margaret Henley, m.henley@auckland.ac.nz,   HSB, Room 537,  x87571  

Lecturers:        Dr Margaret Henley & Professor Toni Bruce, t.bruce@auckland.ac.nz

Margaret Henley Office Hours:    Tues 11-12pm ,  Thurs 1 – 2 pm                                                                   

303 Tutorials:   Tues 11-12 ,Short Street, Room 220 (810.220)

                          Tues 1-2pm , Short Street, 332                       (810.332)

                          Wed 11 - 12, Short Street, Room 220         (810. 220)

Sport 203 tutorial:

                         Monday 2-3pm

                         Short Street Room 209  (801.209)—same room as lecture

MeCo Tuākana Mentor: Kaitiaki Rodger (krdo200@aucklanduni.ac.nz).

Course Description

This course examines the relationship between sport and the media. Topics include: sports journalism; broadcasting industry practice; the mediated game event; online communities of fandom; game commentary; sports law; issues of race and gender and sports promotion and marketing. Students have the opportunity to experience outside broadcast of televised sport and use the university television studio to engage with key media sport professionals. This isn't a limited entry production course and is open to all Media & COMMS students who have completed the level 2 pre-requisites and to stage 2 Bachelor SportsHPE students, Faculty of Education.

The course is designed to provide students with a theoretical base from which to understand the media sport nexus as well as to create an opportunity to undertake independent research and have a small taste of television content production. You do not have to be a keen sports fan or a competing athlete to do the course but you must be prepared to attend a live sporting event as well as view televised or live streamed sport.

Inclusive learning

Students are urged to discuss privately any impairment-related requirements face-to-face and/or in written form with the course convenor, lecturer and/or tutor.

 

                                   Game analysis for NRL coaches during League 9s 

ASSESSMENTS

COMMS 303/SPORT 203 are internally assessed. There is no examination.

1) Tutorial Participation                                          10%

2)  Reading Responses x 2                                      20%     

3) Sports Column                                                        30%                                                        

4) Research Project                                                   40%

Includes separate project proposal ( 10% ) and completed research project (30%)   

COMMS 303: to see connection between learning outcomes and assignments: https://courseoutline.auckland.ac.nz/dco/course/COMMS/303

SPORT 203: to see connection between learning outcomes and assignments:

https://courseoutline.auckland.ac.nz/dco/course/SPORT/203

Lectures              

The lectures are a mix of historical and contemporary material that provide links between sport, media and culture from a theoretical and a broadcast industry/journalism perspective. If you don’t ever watch the sports news on television, read the print media sports section in hardcopy or online, watch sports shows on television or the internet, access sport apps on your iphone, play ‘e’-sport or read the sports celebrity gossip in the women’s magazines – now is the time to start!

The Research Assignment provides students with the opportunity to undertake field research. Students are required to attend a live game of televised sport and/or conduct an interview with a media sport professional or an athlete. Students will present regular brief research progress reports at tutorials during the semester. Each year a number of students in the class are able to experience a ‘behind the scenes’ opportunity with SKY sport in an OB van during a live broadcast of professional sport and/or attend the live transmission of ‘The Crowd Goes Wild’ at the SKY television studio.

It is important that you have regular access to broadcast sport and online media as not all material will be supplied via the AV collection in the library or on Canvas. However, we will do the best we can to supply you with the sport footage you require for your assignments but you need to make sure you give us notice in advance if you wish us to record a specific programme/game.  Academic articles are provided on Canvas, but this should not be considered as the only reading required on the course. A more comprehensive bibliography and film/videography list will also be provided to extend your reading.  However,this does not cover the extensive range of peer reviewed articles available which will be specific to your chosen research topic.  

 Lecture Schedule 2020

Please note that this year two of our Monday scheduled classes are lost because of Queen's Birthday and ANZAC Day.  We will cover the lecture material missed in tutorials or by providing additional resources on Canvas.

Week 1 (2 March) Introdution to Media Sport (MH & TB)

Week 2: (9 March) Production of the broadcast sport text (MH)

Week 3: (16 March) Sport Journalism (TB)

Week 4: (23 March) Sports Space & the sports stadium (MH)

Week 5: (30 March) Mediated women's sport  (MH & TB)

Week 6: (6 April)  Aspects of sports law through select case studies ( Paul David QC)

EASTER/MID SEMESTER BREAK Friday 10 April - 27 April (includes ANZAC Day, Monday)

Week 7: (27 April) ANZAC Day - no lecture  

Week 8: (4 May) Television Studio: Rehearsal (MH)

                                       Lecture: Sport and national identity. (TB)

Week 9: (11 May) Television Studio: Live studio interviews with media sport professionals (MH)

                                        Lecture: Branding & Sports Marketing (TB)

Week 10: (18 May) Gender & Sport. Changing ideals of femininity and masculinity (TB)

Week 11: (25 May) Sports celebrity and athletes & social media, mediated future  (MH)

Week 12: (1 June) Queen's Birthday - no lecture

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COMMS 303 students recording interviews with media sport professionals for their annual 'Full Credit' in the university's television studio. The guest in photo 1 above is a former member of the course who earned a SKY Sport internship and then full time employment with SKY Television.

Course Reading

Set Texts:   303 weekly course readings on Canvas

Recommended:  

‘Routledge Handbook of Sport Communication’, ed. Paul Pedersen. London:Routledge. 2013

‘Sport and the Media: Managing the Nexus’,Nicolson et al, 2nd edition,London:Routledge,    2015.

‘Sports Journalism: A Practical Guide’, Phil Andrews, London:Sage, 2005

‘Routledge Handbook of Sport and New Media'. Eds. Billings & Hardin. London:Routlege, 2014