Essential journalism skills with Decca Aitkenhead and Tim Dowling

Learn the fundamentals of column-writing, interviewing, pitching and digital storytelling from some of the most respected names in journalism

This full-day course boils down the essentials of journalism into a jam-packed day that could give your career a serious boost. A panel of senior Guardian journalists provide a practical guide to the skills you need to get ahead in the industry. You’ll overhaul your writing and interviewing skills, learn what editors want and how to pitch to them, and get an innovative look at how digital advances and open journalism have changed the nature of what an article can be. You’ll also learn how to use journalism to raise important issues and provoke debate.

Featuring talks from leading Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee, senior Guardian feature writer Jon Henley, Weekend magazine columnist Tim Dowling, and interviewer-extraordinaire Decca Aitkenhead, it’s a day that budding journalists won’t want to miss. The course covers the essentials of column-writing and conducting interviews, as well as how to use social media and interactives to tell compelling stories. You’ll learn how to find stories and develop an argument, and tips and tricks for teasing out fascinating information from interviewees. You’ll also receive advice on how to meet deadlines and keep your writing and content fresh, as well as how to raise issues that are important to you and your readers.

This course is for you if...

• You’re starting out as a journalist or blogger and want a grounding in the skills and tools you need to prepare yourself to write and pitch
• You currently run or write for a blog covering news or culture and want to produce more polished, professional content
• You’re considering moving into journalism and want a better understanding of what the job entails
• You’re a working journalist and want an overview of best practice and editorial priorities from major industry figures

Course description

The day takes the form of a series of talks from some of the Guardian’s most senior contributors to give attendees a rounded picture of how to operate in 21st-century journalism. Topics covered on the day include:

• Decca Aitkenhead on how to get interviewees to tell you things they weren’t planning to say
• Polly Toynbee on how to write a column and raise important issues through your writing
• Jon Henley on new ways of storytelling using social media and interactive multimedia
• Tim Dowling on using your life experiences in your writing

Tutor Profiles

Decca Aitkenhead writes the Guardian’s Saturday interview. She began her career at the Independent, before joining the Guardian as a columnist in 1997, but left in 2000 to write a book about going round the world trying to find the perfect Ecstasy pill, which was less fun that it sounds, so she returned to the Guardian as a features writer, and became an interviewer in 2008. Gordon Brown’s spin doctor used to advise politicians, ‘Thou shalt under no circumstances do an interview with Decca Aitkenhead’. She thinks he was wrong about that, but some interviewees would probably agree. Read Decca’s Guardian articles here.

Polly Toynbee is a columnist for the Guardian. She was formerly BBC social affairs editor, columnist and associate editor of the Independent, co-editor of the Washington Monthly and a reporter and feature writer for the Observer. She won the Orwell Prize for journalism in 1998 and in 2007 was named Columnist of the Year at the British Press Awards. Polly has also written and co-authored many books – her latest Cameron’s Coup, co-authored with David Walker, reveals how in four short years the Conservative Party has reversed decades of social progress. Read Polly’s Guardian articles here.

Jon Henley is a senior Guardian feature writer responsible for the acclaimed series Greece on the Breadline and groundbreaking, multi-award-winning multimedia interactive Firestorm. Over a 20-year career at the Guardian, Jon has reported from more than 30 countries and all five continents, including a 10-year stint as the paper’s chief Paris correspondent. Read Jon’s Guardian articles here.

Tim Dowling is a journalist for the Guardian. He writes a weekly column for Weekend magazine and is the author of several books, including How To Be A Husband. Read Tim’s Guardian articles here.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website