ZPDI0740 - Community Journalism: Reporting for Civic Power

Course Description

This eight-week certificate program is designed to teach journalism skills and design practices for anyone in Cleveland who wants to share stories and information that their 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 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 your 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 your 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. Participants are required to attend six of the eight workshops in this program to earn the certificate and will be asked to join the sessions via computer. We will have a computer lab available at Tri-C for those who want to come to campus to take the course virtually. We also have laptops available for loan if you need one to take the course. 

• You’ll leave this certificate program with ideas for stories to tell from your communities and will be connected to 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, continuing your education at Tri-C, ongoing assignments with community media outlets and support to create your own media endeavors.
• This program is offered through support from the Neighborhood Media Foundation, Signal Cleveland and Journalism + Design at The New School.