The world’s media is changing fast and The Thomson Foundation is keeping pace. Our expert consultants are helping journalists, media organisations and NGO’s around the world to adapt; satisfying audience demand for faster and better information.
Falling sales, fierce advertising competition, tougher libel laws, the rise of the internet; it’s never been harder for journalists wherever they are. The Foundation is working alongside editors and reporters to help improve print skills and develop cutting-edge multimedia techniques.
Thomson courses range from basic news writing, picture editing, newspaper design and investigative reporting to video, blogging, online writing and editing, and multimedia newsroom management.
NEW FOR 2010: Print skills
Duration: Four weeks. Dates: Summer 2010 (to be confirmed)
Course summary
The real focus will be on your development as an outstanding print journalist. Working in a team you’ll be thrown into the deep end from day one, given practical tasks whilst working through some of the core ideas that support modern print journalism.
Along the way, you will meet some of the best in the UK print media business, who will share their experiences and tips. We’ll show you how the internet isn’t always a threat, but can be a major motor for accessing new readers.
Who’s it for
Journalists with between three and seven years professional experience
Full details and course contact
Feature writing
Course description:
Feature writing is playing an increasing part in the editorial mix for many publications, small and large. This course equips editors and reporters with the skills needed to work up strong feature pieces, as stand alone articles, as a strand or as a series.
Who’s it for:
Reporters and editors wishing to add feature writing to their skills portfolio.
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Sub Editing and Page Design
Course Description:
This course covers all the skills needed for the various stages of the subbing process for a newspaper, magazine or news sheet, from reading raw copy through to correcting page proofs as well as desktop publishing. It tackles story construction, intro and headline writing and use of language, as well as page design, typography and caption writing.
Who’s it for:
This course is for all print journalists currently working as reporters, specialists or feature writers who would like an introduction to sub-editing. It is also suitable for existing subs who would like to refresh their skills.
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Thomson Foundation also offers a wide range of courses tailored to support the development of multimedia journalism and newsroom management. For example
Online Journalism
Course description:
This course will give participants a basic range of skills to develop and maintain a successful organisational website. From writing copy to page design it also includes appropriate use of audiovisual content. Lectures and excercises from experts in web writing, design, multimedia production and marketing. 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.
Who’s it for:
- Journalists wishing to know the basics of writing for and providing audio/video images for web-based news and information sites
- All non IT-professionals responsible for organisational websites who want to improve their existing skills
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Web 2.0: Harnessing the power of online communities
Course Description
The explosion in online communities, citizen journalism and social media has had a dramatic impact on the global media landscape.
Modern journalists and communication professionals need to know how to listen to, join, and harness the power of these online conversations. This practical course will show journalists how to expand their Web 2.0 skills and online reach, with techniques covering search and listening tools, online writing and blogging, social media and crowdsourcing.
This course is compatible with Web 2.0: Multimedia tools in action
Who it’s for
Print journalists and PR professionals who want to expand their knowledge of online media and hone their community-building skills.
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Web 2.0: Multimedia tools in action
Course description
The growing number of audio-visual tools available to today’s journalist and media blogger can be daunting, as can the skills needed to achieve professional results.
This highly-practical and popular course focuses on easy-to-use platforms with a fast learning curve. By the end of the course, journalists equipped with a laptop and camera should feel confident in authoring and uploading powerful stories through video, audio, photography and more.
• This course is compatible with programmes covering advanced video and audio techniques. For more details see Broadcast Courses
Who’s it for
- Print journalists, freelances, bloggers and communication professionals who want to expand their multimedia skills.
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Media law (online)
Course Description:
With ever expanding reach the internet seems to be a place where the normal media laws are suspended. But is it? What are the implications of libel and defamation for your online outlets when your ISP may be in one country, your editorial staff in another and your readers all over the globe? And what about user generated content? TF will take you through five days of workshops and seminars exploring how you can protect against the worst in the online jungle.
Who’s it for:
Reporters and Editors wishing to expand, consolidate or start up online editions or stand alone brands.
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Managing Convergence
Course Description:
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.
Who it’s for:
Senior media managers including CEO–level, editorial heads, IT, business development and sales and marketing.
Full details and course contact ›