Does the BA Online Journalism teach print or broadcast as well?

The focus is digital-first, but print and broadcast craft are taught where they overlap — print sub-editing in the production module, basic broadcast skills in the multi-platform strand. Students wanting deep print or broadcast training should consider the BA Journalism, Ethics and Media Law or the Advanced Diploma in Broadcast Journalism.

Will the BA Online Journalism teach me real SEO?

Yes. The newsroom SEO module covers search-led research, on-page optimisation, structured data, internal linking, and the difference between evergreen and breaking-news templates. The training maps to what UK national audience desks actually use, not a generic marketing-SEO syllabus.

Can I take the BA Online Journalism online or by distance learning?

Yes. The online route runs live newsdays on shared editorial platforms with remote shooting briefs. Distance learning follows the same syllabus on a structured fortnightly deadline schedule with weekly tutor contact.

How much media law does the BA Online Journalism cover?

Enough to publish safely — defamation, contempt, online harassment, data protection in journalism, IPSO and the Editors' Code. Students wanting a deeper legal strand should consider the BA Journalism, Ethics and Media Law instead.

Is the BA Online Journalism recognised by UK newsrooms?

Yes. The BA Online Journalism is a UK honours degree built around current digital newsroom practice, Society of Editors guidance and IPSO standards. UK national and regional digital titles recognise the credential, and the published portfolio you graduate with carries it into application processes.

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

Course Overview

The BA Online Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree for students who want to work as digital-first reporters in the kind of news brand most readers now meet on a phone before anywhere else. You will report, write, optimise, verify and publish across the platforms a modern UK newsroom uses, and graduate with a published portfolio and analytics record an audience editor will read on its merits.

This BA treats online journalism as craft, not as the optional digital edge of print work. The BA Online Journalism trains reporters who understand search, social and direct audiences, and who can produce credible work across all three without losing editorial discipline.

Key Features

UK honours degree in online journalism — three years full-time, with online and distance routes.
Newsroom SEO module — search-led writing, structured data, evergreen and breaking-news optimisation.
Verification lab — image reverse-search, geolocation, chronolocation, source corroboration.
Multi-platform production — vertical video, audio, carousel, threaded reporting.
Media law and ethics taught alongside production, built around IPSO and Editors' Code frameworks.
Final-year published portfolio with analytics record, reviewed by working UK audience editors.

What You Will Learn

The BA Online Journalism is structured around the working life of a digital-first reporter. You graduate able to file accurately to deadline across platforms, optimise a piece for search without compromising editorial standards, verify user-generated content under pressure, and explain audience metrics without overselling them.

News writing for digital — leads, structure, headline writing, link discipline.
Newsroom SEO — search-led research, structured data, evergreen and breaking templates.
Video for online — mobile shooting, basic edit, vertical and horizontal cuts.
Verification — image and video provenance, source corroboration, takedown protocols.
Audience editing — analytics, distribution, the relationship between engagement and accuracy.
Media law — defamation, contempt, online harassment, data protection.
Production — CMS workflow, sub-editing, headline testing, asset management.
Ethics — IPSO complaint procedure, accuracy logs, source protection.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers committed to digital-first journalism as a career.
International students seeking a UK online journalism degree taught alongside the UK news industry.
Career-changers from PR, content writing or social media management moving into editorial work.
Working bloggers and content creators who want NCTJ-aligned editorial training and a UK credential.

Career Pathways

UK news brands now hire digital-first reporters at every level. The BA Online Journalism positions graduates to apply for trainee and junior roles at national and regional digital titles. Typical first roles include:

Digital Journalist (national or regional online title)
Newsroom SEO Lead (after a year or two as a digital reporter)
Online Producer (news brand, broadcaster, magazine)
Verification Reporter (national title, fact-checking unit)
Audience Editor (digital news brand, broadcaster)
Multimedia Journalist (regional broadcaster, social-first publisher)

Graduates progress to an MA in Online Journalism, Multimedia Journalism or International Journalism 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; a writing sample or link to existing online work is welcome.
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.