The goal of the new Master’s degree programme in Data Journalism (“Дata-журналистика”) is to train media specialists to do big data mining with regard to the information important for the government, businesses and society, as well as to analyse and process big arrays of digital data for the creation of media products, and know how to turn complex source materials into an easily-understandable and beautiful verbal or visual media story (interactive maps, charts, digital storytelling, etc.).
“The demand for journalists who know how to deal with big data is quite high around the world,” reports Head of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations of the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities, Doctor of Sciences (Philology) Liudmila Shesterkina. “Today, many editorial teams and media companies, when they open the vacancy of a media specialist, see the skills of big data mining as a key advantage in candidates. Many of the world’s major media prefer to hire data specialists as members of their staff. As for the Russian job market, there is an obvious shortage of staff with regard to specialists who have mastered the digital technology tools of modern media. That is why we will be training Masters in Journalism, who will be knowledgeable in the transformations of the communications environment and capable of combining their professionalism as journalists (being able to perform investigation, narrate about it and interpret) with their skills in using statistics and analytics. And this means dealing with big data, searching, filtering, and analysing.”
The programme in Data Journalism (“Дata-журналистика”) aims at training highly qualified specialists providing them with professional competences to effectively work with big data from the digital space, and teaching them how to find out-of-the-box solutions, create and fulfil original projects, transmit information directly to the media space, and easily integrate it into various spheres of professional media activity.
It is planned that this course will give basic knowledge about the sources of information on politics, economics, social and legal spheres, as well as about the methods and methodology of studying the media. This Master’s degree programme includes general-theory disciplines aimed at forming the basic idea of working with big data and of the fundamentals of functioning of mass media, as well as applied disciplines in the field of journalism of data and multimedia technologies.
Master’s degree programme in Data Journalism (“Дata-журналистика”) is taught at a unique university-based world-class media complex: International Research Laboratory of Virtual Reality, Neuromarketing Technology Laboratory, Computer Technologies in Mass Media Laboratory, Laboratory of Social Advertising and PR Projects, 360-Degree Multimedia Newsroom, SUSU-TV Television and Radio Company, SUSU Radio Station, and Photography Studio.
The programme is being fulfilled with the participation of the teaching staff of the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities, as well as of the leading Russian and international partners: Nico Drok, Vice President of the World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC), Professor of Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands; Eric Nahon, President of the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA), Belgium; Wannes Heirman, Ph.D. at University of Antwerp and academic advisor at the SUSU International Research Laboratory of Virtual Reality; F. Marane, Professor of Université libre de Bruxelles and Senior Research Fellow at the SUSU International Research Laboratory of Virtual Reality; Alexander Chumikov, Doctor of Sciences (Philology), President of the International Press Club, Moscow; Evgeniia Dmitrienko, Candidate Doctor of Sciences (Philology), Professor, Director of “Yuzhny Ural” State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, Chelyabinsk.
Programme manager is Liudmila Shesterkina, Doctor of Sciences (Philology), Head of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations.
Mode of study: full-time, 2 years, contract-based.