Course Outline

1 The World of Journalism

The history of media and the free press
The role of new technology
The role of the journalist today

2 New Stories

How to write a news story
The importance of the intro
How to find the right angle

3 Interviewing

Developing interviewing techniques
How to ask the right questions
Preventing the pitfalls

4 Law

What is defamation?
What is copyright?
The legal pitfalls for today’s journalists

5 TV and Radio

The role of radio, TV and the internet
How the radio/TV newsroom work
Writing your news bulletin

6 Writing Skills

Improving your writing
What is house style?
How to file copy

7 Features and Specialisms

How to plan and write a feature
How to write a press release
The role of the photo-journalist

8 Courts

The structure of the courts
How to write a safe court story
What are inquests?

9 Public Administration

The importance of Local and Central Govt
What is the role of Europe?
Covering council meetings

10 Where To Go From Here

CV writing
How does freelance work?