Journalism, the future, and you!
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Journalism, the future, and you!
This course is part of Become a Journalist: Report the News! Specialization
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382 reviews
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- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 5 modules in this course
You will learn about the career paths that are available in journalism, and what opportunities the skill sets of a journalist can offer in other fields. You will explore areas such as being an international correspondent, self-publishing in journalism, as well as how to freelance in the field. You will be empowered to develop your own path in journalism, from being an active and informed consumer, to being a journalist.
The worlds of business, communications, politics, education and marketing all utilize elements of journalism. This course also examines how to keep the trust of audiences through ethical, and responsible, journalistic practices. Sometimes, journalists need to be aware of their own safety. We will intelligently discuss how journalists around the world handle pressure, threats and other dangers while doing their jobs. Journalism - and journalists - are agents of change. Are you ready to become one too?
You will learn about journalism profession, the Michigan State University School of Journalism, our world-class faculty and the world-class atmosphere of Michigan State University. We are proud to have Pulitzer-prize winning journalists, distinguished authors and broadcasters, and award-winning scholarly faculty all part of our Michigan State Journalism family. We are a special place, where amazing things happen every day.
What's included
4 videos
4 videosβ’Total 16 minutes
- This is the world of journalismβ’4 minutes
- The Michigan State School of Journalismβ’4 minutes
- Meet your School of Journalism facultyβ’6 minutes
- #SpartansWillβ’1 minute
High ethical standards are essential to developing and maintain trust in the press, in news organizations and in individual journalists in all forms of media: print, broadcast, multimedia and social media. You will learn how to understand a journalist's ethical obligations, and then carry out your professional duties in a trustworthy way, even in the face of pressure in all mediums. You will be empowered to make strong decisions as a journalist to serve your audiences, as well as your outlet.
What's included
4 videos1 reading3 assignments1 peer review2 discussion prompts
4 videosβ’Total 22 minutes
- Journalists and ethicsβ’5 minutes
- Undercover reporting and deceptionβ’4 minutes
- Fairness and balanceβ’6 minutes
- Plagiarism & fabricationβ’7 minutes
1 readingβ’Total 10 minutes
- Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethicsβ’10 minutes
3 assignmentsβ’Total 90 minutes
- Undercover reporting and deceptionβ’30 minutes
- Understanding fairness and balanceβ’30 minutes
- Earning and keeping trustβ’30 minutes
1 peer reviewβ’Total 60 minutes
- Discovering plagiarismβ’60 minutes
2 discussion promptsβ’Total 20 minutes
- Find a Journalism Code of Ethicsβ’10 minutes
- Earning and keeping trust: what do you think?β’10 minutes
Journalists must make difficult decisions - tough calls - that require careful analysis and deep thought. You will learn how journalists must balance competing interests in a sensitive way that still gives primary attention to the needs of your audience, not to your personal self-interest or the self-interest of your news consumers. You will be empowered with the tools and information to assess these challenges of the profession, and then make the correct decisions for safety/welfare and journalistic credibility.
What's included
4 videos4 assignments4 peer reviews
4 videosβ’Total 23 minutes
- Conflict of interest tensionβ’5 minutes
- Disaster situationsβ’7 minutes
- Tensions between journalists and news sourcesβ’6 minutes
- Journalists and privacy rightsβ’6 minutes
4 assignmentsβ’Total 120 minutes
- Understanding conflict of interestβ’30 minutes
- Violence, disaster and tragedyβ’30 minutes
- Relationships with news sourcesβ’30 minutes
- Understanding privacyβ’30 minutes
4 peer reviewsβ’Total 480 minutes
- Handling gift situationsβ’120 minutes
- On the scene of a disasterβ’120 minutes
- Unhappy news sourcesβ’120 minutes
- Public interest vs. individual interests β’120 minutes
Journalism today is unrestrained by national political borders in most of the world. The Internet and social media make it possible to follow events around the globe and to obtain news and information from multiple sources at the same time. However, the press and individual journalists can operate differently in some ways from country to country, depending on national laws, political systems, cultural values and economic resources of news organizations. You will learn how to understand national press systems, constraints on press freedom, broad techniques for covering international news from within your own country and the important work of international correspondents.You will be empowered to consider how you could serve your audience by doing journalism from an international perspective.
What's included
4 videos3 assignments4 peer reviews
4 videosβ’Total 36 minutes
- Intro to International Journalismβ’10 minutes
- Journalist safety & press rights defendersβ’6 minutes
- The life of international correspondentsβ’13 minutes
- Covering world news from homeβ’7 minutes
3 assignmentsβ’Total 90 minutes
- Understanding national press systemsβ’30 minutes
- Understanding journalists' safetyβ’30 minutes
- Reporting about world news from homeβ’30 minutes
4 peer reviewsβ’Total 300 minutes
- Elements of news diversityβ’120 minutes
- Confronting threatsβ’60 minutes
- Understanding how international correspondents workβ’60 minutes
- Planning your news reportβ’60 minutes
How will people get their news and information in the future, and what will your role be in providing that news and information. Now it is your turn to think about your place. You will learn about journalism careers, freelance journalism and predictions for the future of the news industry. You will be empowered to understand, and then conceptualize, how your life and skills fit into journalism's many careers and forms. We hope you will be inspired to find your place - and voice - in journalism.
What's included
4 videos3 assignments3 peer reviews1 discussion prompt
4 videosβ’Total 23 minutes
- Our changing journalism worldβ’8 minutes
- Publishing...on your termsβ’3 minutes
- Freelancing in journalismβ’6 minutes
- Journalism, the future and youβ’6 minutes
3 assignmentsβ’Total 90 minutes
- The economics of journalismβ’30 minutes
- Understanding successful freelancingβ’30 minutes
- Business aspects of freelancingβ’30 minutes
3 peer reviewsβ’Total 240 minutes
- Preparing for changeβ’60 minutes
- Developing YOUR journalism business modelβ’120 minutes
- Putting it all togetherβ’60 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Be the publisher!β’10 minutes
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Reviewed on Jul 16, 2025
I loved this course. The best thing about this course was peer review assignments. Through those assignments I learnt a lot. The professors were great too, loved their teaching style.
Reviewed on May 29, 2016
I am so excited to begin a wonderful free lance career in Journalism. This course has given me the tools and knowledge to grow and achieve the respect of a professional Journalist.
Reviewed on Sep 23, 2020
I am very thankful to Michigan University for this course, It taught me the basics of Journalism and elevates my interest in this field.
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 canβt afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, youβll find a link to apply on the description page.
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Financial aid available,
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