Does the BA Digital Journalism include print or broadcast?

It includes both as adjacent skills, but the primary craft taught is digital. Students wanting print-first or broadcast-first careers should consider the BA in Journalism (Print) or BA Radio / Broadcast Journalism. Most newsrooms are multi-platform now and the BA Digital Journalism prepares you to work across them all.

How much SEO does the BA Digital Journalism actually cover?

A substantial module covering keyword intent, structured data, news-specific ranking factors and the ethics of optimising journalism for search. SEO is treated as a working editorial discipline, not as a separate marketing function.

Will the BA Digital Journalism teach me to verify viral video?

Yes. The verification laboratory covers reverse image search, geolocation, EXIF analysis, social-source authentication and the open-source-intelligence techniques digital reporters use to authenticate or debunk circulating material.

Can I take the BA Digital Journalism fully online?

Yes. Digital is the native medium of the course, which makes it especially well-suited to fully-online delivery. The newsroom rota, the CMS work and the analytics module all translate naturally to remote study.

Is the BA Digital Journalism recognised by UK national news organisations?

It is a UK honours degree taught in line with current digital-newsroom practice and in dialogue with the Online News Association's craft framework. National-title digital desks recognise it as evidence of structured, current digital training; your portfolio carries equal weight.

BA Digital Journalism in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Digital Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree built around the working life of a journalist whose first publishing destination is a CMS, not a printing press. You will write to a digital house style, optimise a piece for search without compromising its truth, verify a video circulating on social, and publish to a fixed slot in a working newsroom rota.

The BA Digital Journalism is taught in dialogue with the Online News Association's craft framework and the International Journalists' Network's verification standards. By the end, you understand search, social, analytics and audience as core editorial disciplines rather than someone else's job.

Key Features

UK honours degree in digital journalism — three years full-time, with online and distance routes.
Newsroom SEO module — keyword research, query intent, structured data, evergreen vs. news SEO patterns.
Verification laboratory covering reverse image search, geolocation, EXIF analysis and open-source intelligence basics.
CMS and publishing workflow — working in WordPress and Arc-style newsroom systems, headline testing, A/B publishing.
Audience analytics module — reading Chartbeat / Parse.ly data, dwell time, scroll depth, the ethics of optimisation.
Final published portfolio on the LSJHML student news site with documented audience and search performance.

What You Will Learn

The BA Digital Journalism is structured around the working competences of a junior-to-mid digital reporter — writing, verification, search, social, analytics and ethics. You graduate able to walk into a digital newsroom and contribute on the first morning across reporting, publishing and audience tasks.

News writing for digital — top lines, intros, structure for scroll, the difference between print and screen reading.
SEO for journalists — keyword intent, structured data, page experience, news-specific ranking factors.
Verification — reverse image search, geolocation, social-source authentication, fake-detection patterns.
Social publishing — platform-specific framing, headline testing, distribution ethics.
CMS work — WordPress and Arc-style systems, headline optimisation, image and video handling.
Audience analytics — Chartbeat / Parse.ly literacy, dwell time, scroll depth, ethical optimisation.
Live news on digital — liveblogging, breaking-news protocols, push-notification discipline.
Media law for digital — defamation in live publishing, contempt, anonymisation, takedown policy.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers who already follow digital news closely and want a career making it rather than consuming it.
International students wanting a UK degree in digital-first journalism taught in a city with one of the deepest English-language digital news markets.
Career-changers from web, content or social media wanting to move into journalism with proper editorial training.
Working bloggers, podcasters and newsletter writers wanting to formalise their craft into industry-recognisable practice.

Career Pathways

Digital is now the dominant form most UK news organisations publish in. The BA Digital Journalism is built to deliver graduates straight into digital reporting, audience editor and CMS-publishing roles. Typical first destinations include:

Digital Journalist (national title, regional digital publisher, specialist outlet)
Newsroom SEO Lead (national, regional, specialist publisher)
Online Producer (broadcast website, news app, longform publisher)
Verification Reporter (open-source desk, broadcaster, specialist agency)
Audience Editor (national or regional title)
Newsletter Editor (publisher, brand newsroom, independent outlet)

Graduates progress to a Master's in Digital Journalism, International Journalism or Strategic Communication at LSJHML or a partner university.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; portfolio submissions (a blog, a podcast, a newsletter) are welcomed but not required.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.