Making the news: A hands-on 12-week journalism course

If you’ve discovered some of the basics of journalism, taking those skills forward and developing them into a successful and fulfilling career can feel difficult. The media landscape is continually shifting, with non-traditional entry routes increasingly becoming the norm.

Building on the foundational skills of many of our popular journalism masterclasses, this intensive 12-week course will immerse you in the expertise and helpful guidance of some of our best writers, to give you the confidence to overcome hurdles and see your hard-earned words in print.

Through a carefully curated combination of six live interactive online sessions, an online learning community, audio recordings and 30 minutes of private mentoring for each attendee, this course will provide you with the tools and knowledge to work towards building a strong portfolio of work. Homework assignments will be set between the online sessions, and you will be encouraged to keep writing and pitching throughout the course.

Featuring a range of voices from across the Guardian, including a dedicated host per cohort, this course will teach you first about the Guardian’s roots and how these are intrinsically linked to our values, and then delve into everything you need to know to find success as a journalist.

Course content

• Workshop one: Welcome to the Guardian, Monday 19 September, 6pm-9pm BST

What’s it like to work at the Guardian? What are the Guardian’s values and how important are they when it comes to our journalism? In this first session, we’ll explore what it’s like to work for one of the world’s best-known and most trusted news sources.

You’ll be introduced to your course host, features journalist Erica Buist, who will be there to mentor, guide and encourage you during your time with us. The session will also include some writing and pitching exercises, and there will be plenty of time for Q&A.

• Workshop two: Breaking into journalism, Monday 3 October, 6pm-9pm BST

Increasingly, non-traditional routes into journalism are becoming the norm – essentially shaking up our understanding of ‘tradition’. In this session, you’ll hear from two Guardian writers about their own unusual career paths and the lessons they’ve learnt along the way. You will focus on some of the fundamentals of idea generation and pitching and have the opportunity to workshop your own pitches with other students in a supportive environment.

• Workshop three: Building blocks, Monday 17 October, 6pm-9pm BST

You’ve practised your pitching – now, you’ll be taking a look at the other elements of building a story. You will explore what makes a strong case study, how to find contributors and learn about some tips for fortifying your interviewing abilities. Plus, how can you use social media to further grow your career? You will discover best practice, the ethics and how you can maximise your use.

• Workshop four: How to structure and write a feature, Monday 31 October, 6pm-9pm GMT

In this essential workshop led by course host Erica Buist you will focus on the fundamentals of structuring and writing a feature.

• Workshop five: Refining your voice and how to be a freelancer, Monday 14 November, 6pm-9pm GMT

What is writing style and why do some voices ring with the kind of clarity and compassion that cuts through the noise? How can you layer your writing with your own narrative voice? As you near the end of your course, with thoughts turning to your future career, the second part of this live workshop will be packed with invaluable advice on how to make it as a freelancer.

• Workshop six: Meet the editors, Monday 28 November, 6pm-9pm GMT

This final live workshop will be your chance to pitch and receive focussed feedback from a panel of Guardian writers and editors.

• Mentoring session: week commencing Monday 5 December

In week 12 of the course, you will receive a private online 30-minute mentoring session with a Guardian journalist.

Online learning platform

In addition to our live lessons, you’ll have access to an online learning community during your time on the course. Here, we’ll post additional audio lessons, learning material and tasks to help you make the most out of your time with us. It’s also where you can contact Erica if you have questions between the live workshops.

This course is for …

• Aspiring journalists
• Writers with some experience, looking to build upon their knowledge
• Anyone with a particular area of interest or expertise who would like to use this as a foundation for a secondary career in journalism
• To get the most out of your learning experience, we advise that you spend between five and eight hours a week of independent study on top of the live workshops

Course host profile

Erica Buist started working for the Guardian in 2013. Having graduated from her journalism Masters in the middle of a jobs crisis, she accidentally became the voice of the unemployed youth via an anonymous comedy blog called How to Be Jobless. She was hired at the Guardian after her blogpost about the interview went viral. After a year as a Guardian staffer she was taken on as a contracted features writer. She then went freelance, travelled to death festivals all over the world and wrote a book called This Party’s Dead. She has taught journalism at Goldsmiths, Lincoln, Cambridge, Exeter and Keele Universities, and also writes plays as part of the writers room at Stockroom Theatre Company. Her journalism can be found on outlets such as the BBC, the Sunday Times, Sky News, Newsweek, the Mirror, and senselessly tweeted out for free @ericabuist.

FAQs

What is the course capacity? We have space for a maximum of 20 students per course, allowing for plenty of individual attention and feedback.

Does English need to be my first language for me to attend this course? No, we welcome attendees from around the globe, however the content will be delivered in English, so to benefit fully from the course, you’ll need to be proficient in written and spoken English.

Will class recordings be available? The live workshops are designed to be highly interactive. We strongly advise you to attend all live workshops. If you are unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, we will make a catch-up recording available to you after the lesson.

Can I pay in instalments? Please contact us at masterclasses@theguardian.com if you would like to talk to us about a payment plan.

Any further questions? We realise that this is an investment in your future, if you have any questions about the nature of this course, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help you.

Course details

• Date: Live workshops fortnightly from Monday 19 September – Monday 28 November 2022; personal mentoring sessions week commencing Monday 5 December 2022
• Time: Live workshops 6pm-9pm BST/GMT

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

6pm BST | 7pm CEST | 10am PDT | 1pm EDT

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you do not receive the access link 24 hours before the scheduled start time.

We aim to make all Guardian Masterclasses fully accessible. If you require any adjustments to enable your participation in this course, please get in touch with us at masterclasses@theguardian.com.

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the class.

Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.