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Berkeley Global
Do you aspire to a career in journalism or simply want to explore journalistic storytelling? Get a practical, task-based introduction to news writing and reporting, and learn standards embraced by the best media practitioners—old and new.
This class is suitable for those looking to become freelancers, expand on pre-existing freelance gigs, or find entry-level media. Students with undergraduate degrees can take this class to test their aptitude and appetite for graduate school in journalism. Other students may want to explore personal interest along the lines of a hobby or to learn how to tell nonfiction stories focused on environmental or political causes, business or non-profit organizations, and other interests. Student-teacher interactions simulate a newsroom environment.
Together, we’ll come up with story ideas that capture audience attention, and learn how to find the facts, sources and details to bring these stories to life. That is the essence of journalism: telling true stories that affect an audience. You may not change the world. But you will change yourself by learning how to tell print or audiovisual stories that matter.
Course Outline
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Course Objectives
- Identify and produce news stories in a variety of forms
- Develop reporting, interviewing and writing skills
- Identify the larger story hidden within a news item and turn it into an enterprise piece
- Gain confidence and knowledge needed to network among their peers
- Acquire the basic tools needed to identify and pursue the style of journalism that interests you most
What You Learn
- Definition and identification of news stories
- Difference between a news story, an essay and an opinion piece
- The ABCs of journalism
- Necessary components of a news story
- Preparation for interviews: common interview mistakes, thought-provoking questions and difference between powerful and weak quotes
- The purpose of a lead
- The inverted pyramid writing structure
- Breaking news and preparation for a press conference
- Difference between two main types of sources
- How to research a basic story
- Useful data and its utilization for story ideas
- Sourcing multiple sides of a story
- Beats, including their role in journalism; traditional beats; geographical, regional and contemporary beats; covering a beat; reporting on an event; and unusual beats
- Multimedia stories
- Basic elements of a podcast
- Utilizing images to tell a story
- How to source, research and tell a story using social media
- Editing: style and ethics
How You Learn
- Reading assignments
- Discussion participation and assignments
- Press conference story
- David Downs event story
- Final story
- Writing assignments
Is This Course for Me?
If you are a blogger or just someone interested in learning from professional journalists how to improve your reporting and writing skills, this is the course for you. As an introductory course, it is not designed for current School of Journalism students.
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