The curriculum
Eighteen modules, 76 lessons and 384 interactive exercises. Here is every module, what you will be able to do, and the two ways to take the course.
Objectives
Every objective is practical. By the end you should be able to:
Recognise what makes a story newsworthy, tell news from opinion and PR, and find a fresh angle.
Find sources, run an interview, and verify what you are told before it becomes a fact.
Structure a piece with the inverted pyramid, write clear active copy, then fact-check and copy-edit your own work.
Pitch a story to the right journalist, deliver a sharp elevator pitch, and write a professional press release.
Explain how news is funded, including how advertising and affiliate tracking work, and read the modern audience.
Measure whether your work landed, build a CV and portfolio, and earn a real byline.
How it works
Every lesson opens with short teaching cards, often with a chart, then a set of interactive exercises. You must pass each lesson at 80 percent before the next unlocks, so progress reflects mastery.
The modules
From the foundations of news to getting your work published, with two brand-new units on the media world and the business of news.
What news is, how it differs from opinion and PR, voice, and the ethics that hold it all up.
Who does what, how a story moves from tip to publication, and how to read an outlet.
Who pays for journalism, how paywalls work, and why funding shapes the news.
How coverage can stereotype a place, and how to tell fuller, fairer stories.
Regions, media hubs, languages and the bodies that shape what gets reported.
Find sources, run an interview, verify what you are told, and report from a distance.
Structure a piece, open it well, write clearly, and edit your own copy.
The last lines of defence before a reader sees your work: verify, then catch every error.
Pitch a story properly, take edits well, and finish a publishable piece.
Work across platforms, build a personal brand, and freelance with a portfolio.
Build a CV and cover letter that get a journalist noticed.
Take everything you have learned and launch your own newsletter.
Report the problem and the evidenced response to it, while still scrutinising.
How journalists think, how to pitch, the elevator pitch, and the anatomy of a press release.
Who really reads, how advertising and affiliate links work, and how to measure impact. Includes a hands-on task: break down a live advert's link.
What the trade looks like in a mature media market, as a benchmark.
Read real press releases, find the story, and avoid being a stenographer.
One comprehensive exam across the whole course. Pass it, finish the Reading Room, earn your certificate.
New and hands-on
The newest units go beyond theory. You will read the modern audience in charts, then do something most courses never teach.
Enrol
Same lessons, same standard, same certificate. Choose the track that fits you.
For everyone
US$50
One-time payment. Lifetime access.
For students
US$75
For journalism and media students, UK and worldwide.
Group and classroom rates for universities and newsrooms are available. Email [email protected].