CERTIFICATE IN JOURNALISM
Do you want to be a Journalist?Journalists are primarily writers who
are writing for periodicals (ie. things published at regular intervals).
Some journalists work on staff for a publisher (full time or part
time),from the publishers office; while others may work freelance or
contract, from home, submitting articles which have been commissioned, or
on spec (ie. in the hope they will be accepted).Freelance journalists
often start slow, only getting occasional articles published early in
their career; but with persistence and good luck, they can develop a
reputation and network of publishers who accept their work (so much so
that they can earn a comfortable living from their writing).
Some in house journalists will find themselves being used to perform a range
of other jobs in the office where they work. Pasrticularly in smaller
publishing houses, they may need to help with editing, layout -preparing
publications for printing, web site development, marketing copy writing,
conducting interviews, answering the phone, research for articles,
photography, etc.Some freelance journalists supplement their income by
indertaking other work as well, such as contract editing for publishers,
writing advertizing copy or web site development, taking and selling
photos, etc
.Be taught by JournalistsThis course has been developed by;
and is taught by successful Journalists, Editors and Authors with work
published around the world. The course is continually reviewed (just as
the industry continually changes), and through interacting with these
experts you are going to develop a very hands on understanding of the
global industry, and develop an improved capacity to not only write, but
write marketable work.
The full certificate involves thirty lessons, covering: Introduction to
Writing; Writing Skills; The Publishing World; Planning What You Write;
Magazine Articles; Newspaper Articles; Graphic and Photographic
Illustration; Layout Skills; Publishing; Office Organisation and
Procedures; Conducting an Interview; Biographical and Fictional Story
Writing; Educational and Scientific Writing; Writing a Regular Column;
Newsletters and News Columns; How to Present and Sell Yourself to a
Publisher.
'Many of the skills that I have learnt from this course help me on a day
to day basis'.A. Peterson, ACS Journalism student.
Course Content
The course is made up of 6 modules as follows:
Module
1. Freelance Writing
Many professional writers start out by
freelancing.
This course will show you how to write, what writing is
marketable, and how to go about selling your work. Emphasis is placed on
things which are important to publishers who might buy your work. Tutors
concentrate on your ability to properly structure an article, and to be
both concise and clear in your use of words. Learning outcomes for
graduates of the course include:
* Have improved communication skills,
particularly with respect to clarity, conciseness and correct grammar.
*
Be familiar with the "writing industry"; having a clear idea of where
opportunities exist for obtaining work as a freelance writer.
* Know
how to go about approaching potential clients to obtain work.
* Have an
understanding of the processes involved in publishing books, magazines and
newspapers;
from generating concepts to seeing the finshed publication
on sale.
There are ten lessons:
1. Introduction
2. Basic Writing
Skills
3. The Publishing World
4. Manuscripts
5. Planning
6.
Newspaper Writing
7. Magazine Writing
8. Writing Books
9. Writing
Advertising
10. Special Project
Module 2. Advanced
Freelance Writing
This is an ideal course to follow Freelance
Writing for people with existing skills, but a need to improve their
overall technique and develop a more "commercial" approach to their work.
Eight lessons:
1. Writing Themes
2. Writing a Regular Column
3.
Educational Writing
4. Scientific Writing
5. Writing a Biographical
Story
6. Writing a News Article
7. Fiction Writing
8. Other
Writing.
Module 3. Editing l
This course
develops your understanding of the purposes and aims of editing, and also
of what editors do. Students will learn about the importance of clear,
effective writing throughout all stages of the publishing process and how
editors assess manuscripts and prepare them for publication. The course
may be taken alone or as part of higher level courses in journalism,
writing, editing and
publishing.
The course covers: the nature and
scope of editing, the role and responsibility of the editor in publishing,
working with authors and publishers, the editing process and skills
required, copyright and other legal concerns, indexing and referencing,
varying the approach according to the kind of
book, etc.
Module
4. Publishing l
This course provides an excellent start for
anyone considering self publishing, or seeking employment in publishing.
It is equally relevant to electronic or print publishing. There are ten
lessons as follows:
1. Nature and scope of the publishing world
2.
Publishing procedures and techniques
3. Desktop publishing A
4.
Desktop publishing B
5. Illustration: Graphics
6. Illlustration:
Photography
7. Research Skills: Market research, researching an article
8.
Marketing of publications
9. Ethics and the law in publishing
10.
Developing a publishing Project
Module 5. Photoshop
Provides
a basic understanding of how to create and manipulate images using Adobe
Photoshop, for use on the web as well as print. There are 9 lessons in
this module as follows:
1. Getting Started
2. Working With Digital
Image Files
3. Understanding The Tool Palette
4. Using Layers,
Actions, and History
5. Digital Painting, Shapes and Colours
6.
Selecting, Resizing, Transforming and Masking
7. Adjustments and
Modifications
8. Adding Filters and Effects
9. Preparing Files For
Print and Web
Module 6. plus one relevant elective
module/short course from one of these fields of study -
writing,
publishing, editing, IT, or photography.
