ATS2781 Journalism, law and ethics
Faculty of Arts
ATS2781 Journalism, law and ethics is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It needs ATS1089 and ATS1090.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS2781
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After ATS2781
No unit lists ATS2781 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Additional prohibited unit: ATS2785
Overview
The unit provides students with an opportunity for a critical engagement with contemporary scholarship on the legal and ethical contexts of news and long format journalistic production. Legal topics covered include the historical and geographical development of doctrines such as freedom of the press, the laws of defamation and contempt, professional confidentiality, freedom of information, copyright, censorship and freedom of expression and racial vilification. Examples of ethical concepts covered are; media accountability, cheque book journalism, codes of ethics and relationship to sources.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- EssayWritten35%
- Media TaskArtefact35%
- Online testQuiz / Test30%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge and capacity to make effective usage of the academic literature covering law and ethics relevant to journalism;
- 2
demonstrate an ability to research, discuss and analyse relevant scholarly issues in a clear, concise and rigorous way;
- 3
collaborate constructively with fellow students in learning and discussion processes, including online forums;
- 4
produce their written work to deadline making effective use of the conventions of scholarly presentation (references, bibliography, etc.);
- 5
work independently and in groups to achieve their learning outcomes;
- 6
reflect critically on one of the core questions in journalism studies: what is journalism for?
Workload and teaching
- Lectures12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachOnline learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages students in actively applying their knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where students engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.
Online lectures as part of weekly Moodle books containing readings and other curated content. The online learning is applied in weekly tutorials.
Where it fits
ATS2781 is part of 4 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Johan Lidberg
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Johan Lidberg
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2781?
You need ATS1089 and ATS1090 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.
When is ATS2781 offered?
In 2026, ATS2781 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.
How much work is ATS2781?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2781 have an exam?
No. ATS2781 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2781?
ATS2781 is part of Journalism and Public relations.