ZPDI0740 - Community Journalism: Reporting for Civic Power

Course Description

We all have roles to play in making sure our communities stay informed. This eight-week certificate program is designed to teach journalism skills and design practices to Clevelanders who want to become more active in getting and sharing the stories and information that our communities need to thrive.

The program offers a hands-on exploration of how journalism works. You'll learn tools for understanding the local issues that are affecting you and your neighbors, how to see the larger systems at play, and how to report on important stories with and for your communities.

This program is facilitated by Charlotte Morgan and offered through support from the Neighborhood Media Foundation, Signal Cleveland and Journalism + Design at The New School.

Learner Outcomes

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Think like a journalist and develop their own news judgment
• Develop creative journalistic ideas for community-centered news
• Understand how power functions and what's driving complex issues
• Find and share credible information online and off
• Engage with local government and understand how decisions get made
• Amplify voices in the community that are often unheard
• Better inform their communities and get involved in the community media ecosystem
• Become more civically active

Notes

Sessions will be held virtually via Webex and are limited to people who live in Cleveland. To be eligible for the certificate, participants must attend six out of the eight sessions and complete a short form at the end of the program, sharing an act of journalism they engaged in during the course.

Participants will be asked to join the sessions via computer. Computer labs are available at Tri-C and available on loan.  

• You’ll leave this certificate program with concrete ideas for getting more involved in local news, elevating local stories and sharing reliable information. 
• You'll be connected to a local news outlet staff and community media producers in the Neighborhood and Community Media Association of Greater Cleveland, who can provide mentorship and help you produce original journalism. 
• You’ll also be connected with other opportunities to build upon and apply the skills you learn or pursue other pathways in local and community-based media, such as paid assignments with Cleveland Documenters, ongoing assignments with community media outlets, support to create your own media endeavors and continuing your education at Tri-C.