The purpose of a pitch is to start a conversation, spark curiosity, and articulately outline questions and solutions. Pitching is an
You will be assigned, from the course structure, a particular week of the course in which you will deliver a clearly argued and, hopefully, entertaining 5-minute pitch (on and in that week’s class), focusing on your understanding (or ‘take’ on) the relevance of that week’s topic. Your pitch should be explicit in terms of how it relates to media, society, and/or politics and you must, at the conclusion of your pitch, propose a question to the class to discuss and debate in order to deepen their awareness of the significance of the topic in relation to real world contexts.
Please upload the main points of your pitch in dot point form to the TurnItIn submission link (below) before class on the day of your presentation (marks will be deducted for late uploads of the written file). Include any “direct quotes” from your research resources and cite/reference these and any other research according to the Harvard Referencing Style (this means including both in-text references and a reference list).
Rather than a written script, this document should instead be a basic overview of your work and chosen question – we discourage you from reading written scripts verbatim as this isn’t in alignment with the pitch genre (just do your best, okay?). Our first week of term will include ideas and suggestions for how to facilitate this form of social learning.
The purpose of a pitch is to start a conversation, spark curiosity, and articulately outline questions and solutions. Pitching is an essential skill across many areas and industries, for anyone seeking to persuasively communicate an idea. Part of this assessment task is to learn and practice strategies and techniques to connect with your audience, effectively communicate key messages, and deliver your pitch with impact. It is not a formal style of presentation, but an energised address to an audience who you are seeking to engage with relatable stories, anecdotes, rhetorical questions and shared knowledge.
Your pitch should contain:
• a clear and brief statement about the significance of the topic;
• the identification and rationale for ONE key point that you will discuss;
• exploration of the value of using key issues, ideas, concepts, debates, perspectives in relation to one chosen media issue/case study;
• a neat conclusion with one clearly articulated key takeaway;
• finishing with a discussion question or activity you would like the tutorial to pursue.
Things to avoid:
• Do not simply repeat information from the lecture/readings – the task is not to summarise, but to critically engage with the content in a way that grabs your audience. You should prioritise showing the
relevance/significance of the week’s media studies approach via your own critical standpoint.
• Try not to use a formal register or tone. Make your approach conversational, colloquial and seek to hook/persuade your audience by integrating theory with personal insights and second-person address.
Requirements & preparation:
• If you are in an online class, it is expected you will use your webcam during classes. This will be mandatory for the duration of your pitch. Part of our assessment criteria (specifically, expression) involves audience engagement through use of body language and presentation – your tutor will not be able to grade this effectively without being able to see you. Before your pitch we advise you to set up your computer environment so that you are comfortable and prepared.
• Slides and visual aids are optional, not obligatory. If you do decide to use them, please email your slides to your tutor before your tutorial (in online classes it should be sufficient to simply have them ready on your computer). We recommend 5 slides maximum, and please note that the pitch genre tends to focus more on visuals and less text (compared with lecture slides). Any use of multimedia should not detract from the audience’s focus on the primary message of your pitch, or from your critical voice.
• As part of your submitted document on the morning of your pitch, please include the question/activity that you have planned to pose to the class. If you have multiple questions or come up with improvised questions during the class, that is also acceptable to enhance your pitch.
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