Each week, MediaShift will list upcoming online trainings and courses for journalists and media people — with a focus on digital training. We’ll include our new DigitalEd courses, as well as those from Mediabistro, NewsU, KDMC, and others. If we’re missing anything, please let us know at mark [at] mediashift [dot] org.
FEATURED TRAINING
DigitalEd: Reinventing Student Media for the Digital Age
Instructor: Dan Reimold
Date: July 15, 2015
How do student publications move from print to digital? A growing number of student media advisers, journalism educators and student journalists worldwide are wrestling with how, and how fast, to shift their outlets — or at least how to more smoothly sync the two together. This one-hour session will feature a rapid-fire breakdown of the many things you and your student media team should consider when making the leap to online-only, digital-first or simply more digital-and-mobile friendly. Examples of successful and failed student media reinventions will also be shared. And five key traps will be laid out that you may want to sidestep before, during and after the transition.
Date and time: July 15, 2015, 1 pm ET / 10 am PT
Place: online
Price: $39
JULY 2015
How to Teach Media Entrepreneurship
A Primer for Building a Media Entrepreneurship Curriculum
Instructor: Jan Schaffer, Executive Director, J-Lab; Entrepreneur in Residence, American University
A growing number of journalism, advertising and public relations students are starting their careers either in media startups launched by others or in entrepreneurial ventures they are starting themselves. What do they need to know? How do they identify a promising entrepreneurial activity? What should they expect if they work in a startup? What skills will they need to run their own startups? How can they create a business and not a hobby?
This course will provide fresh teaching ideas and resource links to journalism programs seeking to grow their media entrepreneurship offerings and to professors already teaching media entrepreneurship courses. Jan Schaffer has taught Media Entrepreneurship courses to graduate students at American University and graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Memphis.
Date and time: July 22, 2015, 1 pm ET / 10 am PT
Place: online
Price: $39
Summer Investigative Reporting Course
Over three weeks, journalists from around the world in various media platforms examine what investigative journalism is and how to conceive, research, and write such stories. The process involves recognizing when something should be a long-term project, basics for launching into the story, testing and retesting the hypothesis throughout the investigation, shifting direction when the reporting dictates that the story direction change, and initial techniques to use in getting started. Workshops will be taught on retrieving data from outside sources, analyzing the data, and using tools to visualize it for readers; instruction will include locating and using public records found worldwide, utilizing financial documents, interviewing techniques, structuring an investigative story, using multimedia to support projects, writing and editing a long-form narrative, and more. We will hold exercises in computer labs within Columbia’s Journalism School to practice techniques, including use of programs such as Excel. This course is not intended for beginners and requires an application process.
Date and time: July 6-24, 2015
Place: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, 2950 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Price: $7,500 (10% discount for Columbia Journalism School alumni and 5% discount for past Columbia Journalism Continuing Education students).
Don’t Turn Them Off: How to Improve Online Comment Sections
Creating digital discussion spaces that yield quality commentary has proven elusive for many newsrooms. Trolls, spam, incivility, misinformation — the list of problematic content appearing in news comment sections could go on. Politics, in particular, seems to bring out some of the worst in discussions. How can online political discussion be improved? This Webinar will present research recently conducted by the Engaging News Project and the National Institute for Civil Discourse that will present strategies for improving online discussion.
Date and time: July 8, 2015, 2 pm ET
Place: online
Price: $29.95
Data Visualization for Storytellers
Data Visualization for Storytellers is a two-day, hands-on certificate program focused on communicating complex information with visually appealing charts, graphs, and maps. Participants will learn to create a clearer, more meaningful picture of complex information and publicly available data, tell stories with interactive maps, and create beautiful and effective graphs and charts.
Date and time: July 9-10, 2015, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm daily
Place: Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley, near San Francisco.
Price: $795. Early Registration Discount for registrations before July 5, 2015.
Podcasting: Telling Stories in Sound
In this two-day certificate earning course, you’ll learn the art of creating and producing distinctive audio podcasts. You’ll practice hands-on recording and editing your own podcast with direction from award winning radio journalist and podcaster, Ben Manilla.
Date and time: July 16-17, 2015 from 8:30 – 4:30 daily
Place: Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley, near San Francisco.
Price: $725. Register here.
Becoming a More Effective Writer: Clarity and Organization (July 2015)
Build the reporting and writing habits you need to organize your information better and write more clearly. You’ll also get one-on-one coaching and feedback on your work. Whether you write breaking news alerts, meeting summaries, business plans or email, you’ll learn the tools you need to deliver what your readers need and want.
Date and time: July 20 – August 14, 2015, 8:30am – 4:30pm daily
Place: online
Price: $429. Applications due July 10, 2015.
Social Media For Content Creators: Brand Building, Content Strategy, Audience Engagement
This workshop offers comprehensive training on how to leverage the power of social media and storytelling to develop audiences, build trust relationships, and drive engagement. Upon completion of this workshop, you will have developed an expanded strategic social media roadmap for creating engaging content across multiple platforms, have experience developing content that resonates with your audience and be knowledgeable on the latest social media tools and technologies.
Date and time: July 21-23, 2015, 8:30am – 4:30pm daily
Place: Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley, near San Francisco.
Price: $1,450. Register here.
Periscope 101: Break News Faster With Mobile Live-Streaming
This training will show how to use the free Periscope app, in conjunction with other free and inexpensive apps and tools to incorporate live-streamed video into a user’s social media, broadcast, and online platforms. Participants will be encouraged and shown how to maximize the quality of their live stream, and to consider how it can repurposed for maximum impact.
Date and time: July 28, 2015, 10pm PT
Place: online
Price: $39. Register here.
AUGUST 2015
Code Now: Programming for Non-Programmers
This intensive two-day workshop provides hands-on training in three coding languages: HTML, CSS & JavaScript (jQuery). You’ll have the knowledge to confidently write code, develop web pages and design a basic website with responsive interfaces. You’ll leave with an understanding of these basics and a simple portfolio website that demonstrates skills learned.
Date and time: August 3-4, 2015, Monday-Tuesday, 9 am – 4:30 pm daily.
Place: Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley, near San Francisco.
Price: $645. Register before July 6, 2015 for a 10% discount.
Creative Writing Foundations: Magazine
Every established magazine writer once had to learn the basics. This course will teach you the foundations of what makes great magazine writing, and will also cover how to write a great pitch, how to research your article and interview your subjects, a grammar review, and matching the tone of different publications.
Date and time: August 3-24, 2015
Place: online
Price: $385
Picture Editing 101: Essentials and Ethics (August 2015)
Strong visual storytelling relies on effective picture editing. To tell compelling stories, you need to understand the principles of photo composition, selection, sequencing and presentation. In this course, you’ll examine the process of editing and practice the techniques you need to develop compelling narratives.
Date and time: August 3-28, 2015
Place: online
Price: $429. Applications due July 31, 2015.
Becoming a More Effective Reporter: Telling Untold Stories (August 2015)
Looking for the edge that will transform your reporting? Do you want more sources — and resources — to cover your community? This course will help you improve your ability to find and tell stories off the beaten path. It will open your eyes and ears to story ideas buried in plain sight and show you how to mine communities, cultures and individuals for stories that often remain untold.
Date and time: August 10 – September 4, 2015
Place: online
Price: $399. Applications due July 30, 2015.
Digital Editorial Production
Navigate the complex waters of content production and transform yourself in to a production pro. This course will teach you how leverage tools of online production to ensure a your users have a dynamic and engaging experience with the content on your website.
Date and time: August 3-24, 2015
Place: online
Price: $470
Podcasting: Create your own five-star podcast
According to reports from Edison Research, the number of consumers who listen to podcasts has jumped 163% from 2006 to 2012. And with shows like Serial, This American Life, 99% Invisible, and Radiolab, millions of listeners are informed and educated every week. If you are looking to connect with influencers, customers, and the world, podcasts are the way to go. In this course, you will create your own podcast. You’ll define and refine your show’s concept and audience, record the first episode of your podcast, and publish it to the world.
Date and time: August 17 – September 21, 2015
Place: online
Price: $470
OCTOBER 2015
Mobile Media: Producing Visual Stories With the iPhone
This two-day certificate workshop provides all skills necessary for shooting quality video on your iPhone. We’ll take you through how to capture key moments from events, product launches, conferences and interviews to publishing on social networks or your website. You’ll work hands-on with experienced TV and online content producers to learn foolproof techniques for capturing professional looking videos on your iPhone. Plus, we’ve added an optional one-day lab: Advanced Video Editing for the iPhone.
Date and time: October 1-2, 2015, from 8:30 – 4:30 daily; additional one-day advanced editing lab October 3, 2015, from 8:30-4:30.
Place: 160 Spear Street in San Francisco, CA; additional one-day advanced editing lab at 141 North Gate Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley CA
Price: $825 USD for two-day workshop on October 1-2, 2015. Register before September 10, 2015 for a 10% discount. Discount automatically applied during registration. $350 USD for one-day advanced video editing lab for the iPhone on October 3, 2015. Register Here – Advance Registration Required.
App Development Strategy and Marketing
As the app ecosystem continues to explode, many magazine publishers and content creators are still wrestling with app development and overall audience marketing and engagement strategies to ensure their app performs in an ever increasing competitive marketplace. This two-day certificate workshop will help you determine what app development strategy is the right fit for your organization with best practices for building and engaging your digital app audience.
Date and time: October 7-8, 2015, from 8:30 – 4:30 daily
Place: Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley, near San Francisco.
Price: $865. Register before September 4, 2015 for a 10% discount.
NewsTrain: Digital Skills for Journalists, Monroe Edition
Sessions include maximizing your use of social media for branding and reporting; improving your mobile newsgathering; generating better data-driven enterprise stories; mastering the mobile-first, multi-platform news cycle; and navigating the new ethical challenges of digital journalism.
Date and time: October 15-16, 2015
Place: University of Louisiana at Monroe Student Union Building, Mitchell St., Monroe, Louisiana.
Price: $75. It includes dinner on Oct. 15 and Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks.
NewsTrain: Digital Skills for Journalists, DeKalb Edition
You will learn how to: produce enterprise stories efficiently; get started with data journalism; maximize your use of social media for reporting, as well as for personal branding and community engagement; shoot engaging smartphone video; use audience analytics to get your stories read; take create approaches to local features coverage; and unleash your watchdog with beat mapping.
Date and time: October 29-30, 2015
Place: Northern Illinois University, where visitor parking is at 200 Carroll Ave., DeKalb, Illinois 60115. The workshop sessions will be in the university’s Holmes Student Center, 340 Carroll Ave., in the Heritage and Lincoln rooms.
Price: $75. It includes Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks each day.
Digital Media Skills Certificate
You’ll experience best practices for telling stories to an online audience—through social media, on the web and to a mobile audience. You’ll learn to engage with video, digital photography, audio recordings, and data visualizations. You’ll have the tools and storytelling skills to produce, edit and post content 24/7. This includes having the skills to code or use tools for quick production. We’ll also teach you what metrics are important in determining engagement and how to market your product or personal brand. Upon completion of this program, participants will have the knowledge and tools necessary to apply their new skill set immediately to their profession.
Date and time: October – December 2015
Place: Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley, near San Francisco.
Price: TBA
NOVEMBER 2015
NewsTrain: Digital Skills for Journalists, Philadelphia Edition
This will be a digital-storytelling boot camp: two full days of training that will help you make smart decisions about the best way to tell a story. This workshop will introduce you to: producing video, recording sound and shooting photos with your smartphone; writing news for mobile; using data to drive enterprise reporting; and maximizing your use of social media for both reporting and branding.
Date and time: Nov. 13-14, 2015
Place: Temple University in Philadelphia. The Nov. 13 classes will be in Mitten Hall, 1913 N. Broad St. The Nov. 14 classes will be in Annenberg Hall, 2020 N.13th St. The Friday evening reception will be in the Atrium of Annenberg Hall.
Price: $75. It includes two days of training, Continental breakfasts and lunches, plus a reception on Friday evening.
JANUARY 2016
Visual Storytelling
A one-week workshop with seminar style and hands-on training in essential skills for producing visual content to a digital-first media environment.
Date and time: January 11-16, 2016, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am- 5:00 pm daily. Morning coffee and networking lunch is included.
Place: Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley, near San Francisco.
Price: $2,400 USD, Register Early for 10% discount. Discount immediately applied at registration.
NewsTrain: Digital Skills for Journalists, Lexington Edition
In this daylong NewsTrain, you will learn how to maximize your use of social media for reporting, as well as for personal branding and community engagement; tell video stories more efficiently in ways other than the traditional TV-news segment; shoot video effectively on your smartphone; spot enterprise stories in data, whether your beat is government, sports, the arts, business or education.
Date and time: Jan. 21, 2016
Place: Hyatt Regency Lexington, 401 W. High St., Lexington, Kentucky 40507. The workshop precedes the Kentucky Press Association Winter Convention at the hotel.
Price: $75. It includes a full day of training, breakfast, lunch and snacks.
More course listings are available at MediaShift’s DigitalEd, Poynter’s NewsU, Knight Digital Media Center Berkeley, Columbia Journalism School’s Continuing Education listings and Mediabistro.
Sonia Paul is a freelance journalist based in India, and is the editorial assistant at PBS MediaShift. She is on Twitter @sonipaul.