journalism

Sports Reporting for the World Cup

This course addresses the commercial, political and cultural importance of sport and its unifying role in fostering dialogue between the nations of the world. It aims to increase the confidence of sports journalists in providing a fast and informed reporting service without sacrificing accuracy and balance. It also helps them find unusual angles and features to complement their core coverage. It also provides the particular skills required to cover the FIFA World Cup.

Photo Journalism

This course is designed to improve standards in all areas of the photojournalist’s work; in news, features, portraits, the arts and sport. The course assumes a good working knowledge of cameras and photographic techniques.

Television News Reporting

This course helps journalists develop their skills in communicating a story effectively and ethically through video. They learn how to identify, write, film and produce stories with confidence and context and to report in exciting new ways while maintaining standards of fairness, accuracy and quality. The course looks at how to capture audience interest and produce good edits. Technical skills, from basic editing to two-ways and pieces to camera are covered, as are legal dangers and copyright issues. It also covers the changing requirements of multimedia journalism and the range of audiences from traditional broadcasting to YouTube.

Reporting General and Political News (formerly Reporting International News)

Using Reuters and other world news agencies as models, this course shows how to follow a breaking story, check sources and develop sound story structure – while observing the core values of accuracy, speed, balance and impartiality. The training is very practical and uses audio-visual techniques, news conferences, press releases, briefings and written background to set up fictional stories to be reported. Guided by professional editors, participants write to deadline and then review their work with the group. Some economic and business news reporting skills are introduced and there are basic sessions on television interviewing and radio reporting.

Newsroom Management

This course is designed to help journalists make the transition to good leaders or managers. It helps them understand the dynamics of the companies they operate in and to master the mechanics of planning, budgeting and managing staff. They also gain skills in researching, presenting and gaining support for projects or ideas and of organising and motivating teams for success. Latest technological developments and current challenges and opportunities in media are explored.

Intro to Web Content Creation

This course equips delegates with the basic range of skills needed to develop and maintain a successful organisational website, from writing the copy to designing the ‘look’ of the site. It also includes an introduction to the complex issue of web marketing, and how to increase site visitors – a subject all those writing for the web need to understand. English with Arabic Lanaguage Support

Reporting Business News – The Global Economic Crisis

A five day course which will bring participants up to speed in reporting the current economic climate, the causes, and the potential solutions being put in place. The course will assume some basic prior awareness of business and financial reporting, although it will also revise and strengthen existing knowledge to assure firm foundations for all participants. At the end of the course participants will be able to: - Explain the causes of the current crisis - List efforts being undertaken to alleviate the situation - Report on bond markets, rating agencies - Create story ideas to explain the crisis in understandable terms - Work in teams to produce interesting, accurate copy - Demonstrate likely market reactions to macroeconomics events

Multimedia Journalism

This course looks at ways journalists can repurpose their reporting for use in new media. It looks at how different audiences are developing as new technologies open up fresh platforms for sharing news and views. Many newspapers now require their staff to do more than write for traditional print and conventional deadlines; they must also provide updates for the company’s news website and produce regular blogs. Some are asked to produce video reports to complement their coverage. Celebrities, politicians and companies are increasingly turning to social networking sites such as Facebook – originally seen as just a portal for young people to share news with friends - to promote themselves and journalists are having to learn to find their way round these networks in order to gather information. And the mobile phone is now having an impact on how news is gathered and delivered. The training shows the different skills required and provides practical exercises to help reporters deliver coverage confidently, whatever the medium.

Managing Convergence

The way the audience consumes content is changing. Mainstream traditional media must find new ways of delivering their core output to multiple outlets/devices to reflect that changing behaviour. Media managers need to serve this new audience need in a way that offers editorial consistency, builds on the brands core strengths, engages the audience in new ways and opens up new revenue-generation opportunities. The course will look at the importance of convergence for a single medium organisation’s survival, the editorial and content implications of introducing a converged strategy, the technical requirements, the roles and responsibilities of the key players in the content team and the business and revenue-generation opportunities.

Video Journalism

The course is designed for all practicing journalists who would like to further develop their storytelling, camera and editing skills. It is anticipated that the course will build on their technical interest and raise the confidence of all the participants.