Crime, courts and cabinets

In this unit students will learn the skills and knowledge necessary to fulfil the fundamental journalistic task of reporting the key forums of civil society. Students will discover how these key forums function, and develop the practical skills, legal knowledge and theoretical understanding to fulfil the important tasks. Students will learn the key skills by undertaking practical exercises revolving around excursions, for example to parliaments, courts, local government and the AGMs of public and private sector organisations.

Content will include:
a. reporting public forums including public meetings, courts and the three tiers of Australian politics - Federal government, state government and local government;
b. the functioning of these forums, including their history, structure and place in civil society;
c. the role of the media in reporting these forums;
d. impacts of relevant laws, including contempt of court and other court reporting restrictions, contempt of parliament, and privilege pertaining to public documents and public forums under the Defamation Act 2001;
e. journalistic use of public documents arising from public forums such as parliaments, the courts and local government meetings