Training

The suite of ten social media and journalism training courses I currently offer is specifically aimed at journalists, NGO communications teams and media organisations. Unless otherwise stated, these courses are full one-day courses. Contact me if you require a more detailed break down of each course.

• Video for social media. What works on TV does not always work on social media. You need to make video that social media users want to consume. We look at storytelling techniques that work in the digital realm and at video formatting, sub-titles, graphics, workflow, filming/editing tools, the importance of having your video ready for a mobile-first audience and formatted correctly for multiple social media platforms.

• Instagram for storytellers. In a visual world, communicators need to understand how Instagram works. From formatting pictures, publishing tips, monitoring and filtering tools to how to shoot, edit and publish Instagram Stories and how best to format video for both regular Instagram posts and IGTV. We look at best practice case studies and trainees leave with a deep understanding of how Instagram works together with a raft of tips and guidance on how to best to share their content and grow their followers.

• Online verification skills. In the era of fake news, this course teaches trainees how to verify that a photo, a news report or a recording is real or that a tweet comes from a trustworthy source. To check whether a video is what it says it is, was filmed by who it says it was filmed by and that it was shot when it says it was shot. Or not. Trainees learn the process of verification across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and open forums and how to integrate key verification tools into their workflow.

• Twitter for journalists and communicators. A seemingly simple 240 character tool that offers a wealth of opportunities, stories, contacts and publishing opportunities for journalists and communicators. From how to use hashtags, Twitter lists and monitoring tools to growing followers, setting up alerts and integrating Twitter into a website or blog. I have been training journalists on Twitter since 2006.

• Facebook for journalists and communicators. “The journalists are on Twitter, the people are on Facebook” – so goes a common refrain within the media. If that really is the case, journalists still need to be Facebook savvy because that is where a lot of the stories are and so are the sources. This course looks at how best to set up a Facebook page for your organisation, how best to search and filter Facebook and how and why you should be publishing video on Facebook. We also cover Facebook etiquette and how best to approach sources, verify information and integrate user-generated content into journalism.

• The digital news wire. I take trainees, step by step, through the process of building a news wire, learning how information flows in the digital sphere, how social media monitoring works, how best to build a digital newsroom and how to publish and distribute multiple platforms.

• The online foreign correspondent. This course is aimed at students, recent graduates, working correspondents and those looking at a career change. I train you in a wide range of online tools and show you how foreign correspondents use them. You will build your own blog, learn how to use social bookmarking tools, how to gather and filter news and integrate everything on your blog. You will also learn how to get noticed, network effectively and stay safe in the digital realm.

• The 10 essential online tools for journalists and communicators and how best to use them. A rigorous look at ten key journalism tools. From secure browsers, plug ins, social bookmarking services to private messaging tools and social networks. On this course you will learn the best practical uses of ten key tools (and often more). This constantly evolving course is aimed at helping you become an efficient and dynamic journalist or communicator.

• News-gathering techniques. On this course, we work through the key skills needed to gather news on and offline. We learn about specific digital tools and how to integrate them into our daily workflow. Then we use those skills to track breaking news live. We look at how to follow a story when it happens and how to track a story before it even begins. This course is all about becoming a more savvy and efficient journalist in the 21st century.

• Basic journalism skills. From the five ‘W’ questions’ to story structure for breaking news and feature-length reports, to interview techniques and how to develop and cultivate sources.

I constantly update these courses to take into account the latest technological developments and trends. I have designed and delivered courses for BBC College of Journalism, BBC Academy, BBC Media Action, Al Jazeera, Journalism.co.uk, Thomson Foundation, IREX, Jordan Media Institute, Frontline Club and many other organisations. I am happy to develop bespoke courses for NGOs, media organisations and small businesses. Contact me if you would like to discuss your specific requirements.

In 2011, I was asked by the Frontline Club to talk about how I set up the first ever digital news wire in Rwanda. This methodology is still used as a benchmark on some MA journalism courses in the UK.

Photograph of a training room in Kigali, Rwanda was taken by me while working for IREX on a journalism training programme.