Journalism & Writing
Journalism Foundations: Report, Write, and Pitch Like a Pro
Write Stories That Get Published
12 lessons4 modules9h 5m durationbeginner level
About this course
Journalism Foundations gives you a complete working toolkit for the craft — from the inverted pyramid and the perfect lede to on-the-record sourcing, cold-call interviewing, and ethical decision-making in the field. Each lesson is built around the techniques working journalists actually use, illustrated with real story structures and practical exercises. By the end you will be able to report, write, and pitch publishable news and feature stories to real editors.
Curriculum
Module 1: The Story Starts Here: Reporting Basics
- What Makes a Story: News Values in PracticePreview
- Beat Reporting and the Source Network🔒
- Finding Stories: Tips, Documents, and Your Own Eyes🔒
Module 2: Writing News: Structure, Ledes, and Clarity
- The Inverted Pyramid: Why It Works and How to Use It🔒
- Writing the Lede: Your First Sentence Does All the Work🔒
- News Writing Style: Clarity, Quotes, and the Invisible Sentence🔒
Module 3: The Interview and the Source: Getting the Story Out of People
- Interview Preparation: Do the Work Before the Call🔒
- Conducting the Interview: Listening, Probing, and Controlling the Room🔒
- Fact-Checking: The Habit That Protects Your Byline🔒
Module 4: Feature Writing, Ethics, and Breaking Into the Field
- Feature Writing: Structure, Voice, and the Long Story🔒
- Journalism Ethics: The Decisions That Define Your Reputation🔒
- Pitching Editors and Building a Freelance Career🔒
Powered by StretchLearn