Gathering and Developing the News
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Gathering and Developing the News
This course is part of Become a Journalist: Report the News! Specialization
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There are 4 modules in this course
Journalists develop information through interviews and sources. The most successful journalists quickly master these important skill sets. The production of journalism relies on several elements: newsgathering, interviewing sources, researching and trying to find as much information as possible. The course will also teach you how to where to find information, interviewing skills and how to process information from various sources for publication.
How - and where - journalists obtain information can determine if their news reports will be deemed credible and trustworthy by their audience. Finding the best sources for information and quotes is a process conducted by every professional journalist. You will learn the best ways to find information and sources for your reporting.
What's included
4 videos4 assignments1 peer review3 discussion prompts
4 videos•Total 25 minutes
- Sources in journalism•6 minutes
- Why should journalists use sources?•6 minutes
- Obstacles to reporting•9 minutes
- Why should sources should trust journalists?•4 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
- What are sources?•30 minutes
- Why use sources?•30 minutes
- Reporting obstacles•30 minutes
- Working with sources•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
- Identifying and reviewing reporting obstacles•120 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
- Documents and news•10 minutes
- Finding expert sources•10 minutes
- Why should anyone ever trust a journalist?•10 minutes
Successful journalists understand the need to bring in different types of information and voices to create a strong and accurate news report. You will learn how journalists carefully consider sourcing, and how to effectively and ethically interact with sources.
What's included
4 videos5 assignments1 peer review3 discussion prompts
4 videos•Total 27 minutes
- Why diversity matters•8 minutes
- Rules for dealing with sources•9 minutes
- Protecting sources•4 minutes
- News Literacy•6 minutes
5 assignments•Total 150 minutes
- Sources and diversity•30 minutes
- Rules for dealing with sources•30 minutes
- Protecting sources•30 minutes
- News literacy and the public•30 minutes
- Sourcing areas for journalists•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
- Seeking diversity•120 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
- Using anonymous sources•10 minutes
- Protecting sources...and you•10 minutes
- Discussion about news literacy•10 minutes
The interview is one of the most powerful tools of journalistic newsgathering. You will learn how journalists use interviews, the different forms it can take, how you can best prepare for it, and how to be sensitive to those who have been through trauma. A good interview can make a news report. And a bad interview can sink it.
What's included
4 videos1 reading5 assignments3 peer reviews
4 videos•Total 25 minutes
- Preparing for interviews•7 minutes
- How to conduct effective interviews•6 minutes
- How to conduct person-on-the-street interviews•3 minutes
- Working with trauma survivors•9 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Interviewing scientists and others•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 150 minutes
- Interview prep•30 minutes
- Conducting the interview•30 minutes
- Person-on-the-street interviews•30 minutes
- Survivors of trauma•30 minutes
- The interview•30 minutes
3 peer reviews•Total 240 minutes
- Victims or survivors?•60 minutes
- Developing questions•120 minutes
- Interviewing strangers on the street.•60 minutes
Technology and moving beyond typical sources is letting journalists reach more sources than ever before. You will learn how to use crowdsourcing, social media, press conferences and online resources as valuable tools to enhance your reporting.
What's included
4 videos5 assignments1 peer review
4 videos•Total 28 minutes
- How to use crowd sourcing•5 minutes
- How journalists use social media•8 minutes
- Using documents•6 minutes
- How to navigate press conferences•9 minutes
5 assignments•Total 150 minutes
- Crowd sourcing•30 minutes
- Social media and finding sources•30 minutes
- Using documents•30 minutes
- Press Conferences•30 minutes
- Tools for Finding Sources•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
- Assessing documents•120 minutes
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Reviewed on Oct 23, 2019
Great course informative and gave helpful tips on how to conduct research via sources.
Reviewed on Nov 26, 2016
I like the course and the teachers. I don't like the peer review because most of the students don't work hard enough on their reviews. I do want the challenge and the feedback.
Reviewed on Nov 24, 2017
This was the brilliant course. Being a journalist I found so many new things that I did not know earlier. For beginners and for experienced, this is simply gem of a course.
Frequently asked questions
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
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