This course is part of the How to be a Journalist in a Social Media and Digital Age ExpertTrack
A Reporter’s Toolkit for the Digital Age
Learn essential skills and useful tools to help you become a reporter in a social media and digital era.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours100% online
How it worksIncluded in an ExpertTrack
Course 2 of 3
A Reporter’s Toolkit for the Digital Age
Enhance your skills as a news reporter
With so much of our news now consumed online, it’s important to know how digital journalism differs from traditional forms.
On this four-week course, you’ll increase your understanding of the essential ingredients for good reporting and how to apply this to online journalism.
This practical course will take you through a variety of exercises including how to pick the best stories for different target audiences, how to write a news story from information and quotes, and writing other forms of journalism to build your skills.
Explore the value of community news
You’ll examine what it means to have different communities reflected in the news and the impact this has on society.
Drawing from your own experiences, you’ll discuss how far you have seen various communities represented in the news before learning how reporters create this type of story.
You’ll also have the opportunity to create a story about your community or area of special interest.
Examine the power of social media in reporting and journalism
Social media has undoubtedly changed the way we report and consume news.
You’ll explore how news platforms use social media in reporting and what makes an engaging post without being ‘clickbait’.
As well as this, you’ll examine how news outlets use social media to pick up stories, interviewees, and case studies.
Explore the realms of digital journalism
Finally, you’ll explore the power of the personal story.
You’ll examine the attraction and also the danger of people telling their own stories before taking the opportunity to create your own piece of personalised journalism.
What topics will you cover?
- Essential ingredients for good reporting
- Developing news judgement
- Reflections on different communities being represented in the news
- Power of social media
- Impartiality and personal news stories
Prove you're job ready
Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.
- Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
- Complete each course and pass assessments.
- Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
- Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
- Make your career dreams a reality.
Download a PDF
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Summarise the essential ingredients of good reporting
- Develop news judgement
- Reflect on different communities being represented in the news
- Discuss the power of social media
- Explore impartiality and personal news stories
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone with an interest in media reporting.
It will be of particular interest if you are an aspiring journalist or writer.
Who developed the course?
The University of Kent
The University of Kent, the UK’s European university, is one of the country’s most dynamic universities. Established in 1965, it now has 19,850 students studying at its various campuses.
Start learning today - free 7-day trial
After your free trial you can:
- Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
- Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
- Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
- Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
- Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
- Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
- Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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