Being a successful journalist is more than hunting down information. How journalists process the information, then put it together, are key steps for news reports. You will learn the process, planning, requirements of how journalists develop their news reports. There are many ways to report news reports, and you will learn different forms of how to perform reporting and writing to serve different audiences. This course also explains the different formats within journalism, beyond the written word and how they are best utilized.
This course is part of the Become a Journalist: Report the News! Specialization
Effectively delivering the news to your audience
Offered By
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
126 minutes to complete
Welcome to Course 3!
We are thrilled to have you as part of Course 3 in our Introduction to Journalism Specialization. We will be discussing how to "Effectively Delivering the News to Your Audience". You will learn about the School of Journalism, our award-winning faculty and the world-class atmosphere of Michigan State University. We are a special place, where amazing things happen every day.
4 videos (Total 16 min), 1 reading
4 videos
Meet your School of Journalism faculty6m
The MSU School of Journalism4m
#SpartansWill1m
1 reading
Where to find us10m
Week
21 hour to complete
Earning and keeping trust
You've developed your story concept. You've done your research, reporting and interviewing. Now you will learn how to take the next steps: sorting your information, and picking the right format for your news report. You will develop skills in dealing with statistics, numbers and how to figure out if you have enough information to compile an effective news report.
4 videos (Total 24 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes
4 videos
Using numbers wisely in news reports11m
Newsgathering...what's accurate and what's not?6m
What happens if you don't know something?3m
1 reading
Things to help sort information10m
3 practice exercises
Sorting newsgathering4m
Understanding how to use numbers6m
Sifting, sorting and choosing information6m
Week
33 hours to complete
Preparing your news report
Sometimes one of the biggest challenges in being a journalist is figuring out how to best handle quotes, format, and audience recognition. Knowing what you're reporting, and your audience, makes all the difference. You will learn how to best use and structure quotes in your news reports, choose the right format for reporting, and understand the needs of your audience.
3 videos (Total 19 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes
1 reading
Some formats for news stories10m
2 practice exercises
Using quotes correctly6m
Audience, tone, leads, sources6m
Week
41 hour to complete
More than words
Having an effective news report is often dictated by the many thoughtful choices made by editors and journalists. How things look, sound, feel and read impacts how the audiences choose to take in information - and if they want to interact with your media. What are the things you need to consider? You will learn how your news report can be strengthened through multimedia: audio, video, graphics, photos and maps. You will develop skills in shooting video and photos, as well as gathering audio.
4 videos (Total 26 min), 2 readings, 4 quizzes
4 videos
Adding audio to your news report11m
Adding Videos to your News Report5m
Why should you use multimedia?4m
2 readings
Listen to this!10m
Make Your Video More Visually Interesting10m
4 practice exercises
Ways to think about multimedia4m
Audio best practices6m
Adding Video to Your News Report6m
Adding layers with multimedia6m
4.7
26 Reviews50%
started a new career after completing these courses
50%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
Fantastic Class! I have a BA in Journalism and I felt the Coursera/MSU SoJ Classes were indeed tougher and give a much better example of 'real world' than you will find in most class rooms.
Thank you for sharing the Course. I learn a lot and enjoy a lot too.
Instructors
Joanne Gerstner
Sports Journalist in ResidenceMichigan State University School of Journalism
Jeremy Steele
SpecialistMichigan State University School of Journalism
David Poulson
InstructorSchool of Journalism
Eric Freedman
InstructorSchool of Journalism
Joe Grimm
InstructorSchool of Journalism
Lucinda D. Davenport
Director & ProfessorSchool of Journalism
About Michigan State University
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 150 years.
One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
About the Become a Journalist: Report the News! Specialization
This Specialization will develop and enhance your understanding of the global field of journalism. You'll learn best practices and ethical standards for newsgathering processes and compiling a news report through hands-on projects, peer-to-peer feedback, and issue exploration. You will also study journalism's impact on societal issues and trends, plus explore career opportunities in newspapers, magazine, social media, Internet multimedia, television, radio, corporate and community journalism. The final Capstone project will guide you through the journalistic portfolio process, where you will conceptualize, report and complete a professional-quality news report.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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