Online training materials for journalists

http://www.thenewsmanual.net/Links/Links_02.htm

Links - Online training materials

The following are some useful links to training materials available online. Occasionally we will link to sites where hard copy materials only are available, such as books, DVDs etc. These are some the editors of The News Manual know something about, though we do not specifically endorse any. Where text appears in quotes it is usually taken from their website itself. We show the actual URL so you know exactly where the link will take you.

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ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Style Guide: "Each week Radio National adds over 130,000 words to its website. Producers of Radio National's 60-odd programs publish their own copy online. This style guide tries to pull many different writing styles together and provide rulings on spelling, punctuation and usage." http://style.radionational.net.au/about-guide

BBC College of Production: “A free online learning resource for the radio, television and online production community offering videos, podcasts and articles from broadcasting innovators and experts.” Based in London. http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/collegeofproduction/

See also: BBC News Style Guide

Cultures of Journalism Series: A 13-part feature series through which "students examine all aspects of journalistic craft including: News-writing; Journalistic Styles; Feature Writing; News Gathering; Newspapers in History; Journalism Cultures and International Journalism." A collaboration between Open Learning Australia, Griffith University and the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). http://www.abc.net.au/rn/learning/lifelong/features/journalism/default.htm

Defamation Checklist: "an interactive web tool designed for working journalists and students. It has been constructed to help you decide whether a story might be defamatory and, if so, what defences might help you publish safely after legal advice. The site has been completely updated to reflect new near-uniform defamation laws which came into effect in all Australian states and territories in 2006." Hosted by Bond University, Queensland. Materials are based on Mark Pearson's The Journalist's Guide to Media Law: Dealing with legal and ethical issues. (3rd ed. 2007). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. http://www.bond.edu.au/defamkit/

International Journalists' Network (IJNet): "An online service for journalists, media managers, media assistance professionals, journalism trainers and educators, or anyone else with an interest in news media around the world." Published by the International Center for Journalists in Washington DC, the site also contains some online training materials at: http://www.ijnet.org/Director.aspx?P=Training

Media Helping Media: "has been set up to provide a platform for those involved in the media in transition states, post-conflict countries and areas where freedom of expression and media freedom is under threat. The aim is to bring together a variety of training resources available for all to use and to create a wiki of shared knowledge for the benefit of anyone working in the media in difficult circumstances. And all free of charge." http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org/

The Net for Journalists: "UNESCO collaborated with the Thomson Foundation and Commonwealth Broadcasting Association to produce a handbook for journalists of developing countries on the use of Internet for journalistic purposes. This training handbook, which is written by a journalist and trainer Mr Martin Huckerby, is a resource (with a printed manual and a CD) designed for both print and broadcast journalists and journalism students in developing countries around the globe." Available from UNESCO at: http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=21010&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

No Train, No Gain: "A resource site for newsroom trainers. The site offers training tips and handouts on writing, editing, reporting, newsroom management skills, recruitment and retention, diversity, technology and newsroom surveys. NTNG welcomes and incorporates handouts, comments and other contributions from newsroom trainers from all over the world." Contacts in Cape Town, South Africa, and Oklahoma City, USA. http://www.notrain-nogain.com/Default.asp

Online Journalism Review (OJR): "OJR is a community of online journalists and news consumers, examining together ways to improve the accuracy, relevance, appeal and viability of news online." Based at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School for Communication, USA. http://www.ojr.org/

Press Release Centre: "This site provides information on press releases, how to write press releases, and how to get your press release distributed. We include Australian media listings, we're a clearing house for the latest press release industry news, and we provide an Australian PR news monitor." http://www.pressrelease.com.au/

Reporting Diversity and Integration Project: "Seeks to build on the outcomes of the Journalism in Multicultural Australia project by further developing the ‘toolkit’ of project resources, by undertaking a number of additional related research projects and by facilitating a series of meetings with key stakeholders within the Australian journalism community." http://www.reportingdiversity.org.au/

UNESCO Series on Journalism Education: Model Curricula for Journalism Education. Designed following widespread consultation around the world, these model curricula evolved from lists of courses for both undergraduate and post-graduate levels, a brief description of each course and an outline of fundamental journalism competencies. NOTE: This is a large pdf file to download. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001512/151209E.pdf