This course will guide you through the basic elements of professional journalism and the news values and ethics of covering real-world issues and events. The overview and examples of the types of news coverage helps introduce the different types of journalism, such as social media, multimedia, print, visual and broadcast, and how professional journalists effectively use each format.
What is news?
What is news?
This course is part of Become a Journalist: Report the News! Specialization
Instructors: Joanne C. Gerstner
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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7
(1,153 reviews)
16 hours to complete
3 weeks at 5 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
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Assessments
17 assignments
Taught in English
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This course is part of the Become a Journalist: Report the News! Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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There are 5 modules in this course
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.
What's included
4 videos1 discussion prompt
In every module of this course, we will go deeper into journalistic values and ethics. In many ways, these values are what distinguish journalism from the many other kinds of content. You will learn how to move beyond creating content to creating journalism through understanding and using these values.
What's included
7 videos3 readings7 assignments2 discussion prompts
You will learn how to reach your audience and community as a journalist, by exploring news reports, interest and importance, and values and ethics.
What's included
3 videos1 reading2 assignments1 discussion prompt
Understanding the ways journalism happens is just as important as knowing how to do it. There are many different types of journalism, as our world is filled with so many things to communicate about: sports, cars, celebrities, movies, war, business, real estate, pets, art...if you can name it, you can do journalism about it.
What's included
6 videos1 reading5 assignments3 peer reviews1 discussion prompt
Journalists are working in new and exciting places such as social media. Technology has allowed the profession and journalists to do their jobs in innovative ways. You will learn about how technology impacts journalism, and best practices for blogs, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, WeChat, Facebook and other realities of engaging in social media.
What's included
5 videos1 reading3 assignments1 peer review
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4.7
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Showing 3 of 1153
IS
5
Reviewed on Jun 7, 2020
This teaches the basics of news and some simple things like how to interview and gather information. This information is very helpful and super informative. This helped me out so much!
TF
5
Reviewed on Mar 6, 2016
As a beginning course in journalism, this has been a true experience for me. I learned more than I thought I would about ethics, professionalism, and how to be true to your story.
SA
5
Reviewed on Oct 10, 2021
Excellent introductory course.
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Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. 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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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