New courses at IAJ

The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism is offering new courses in January 2011. Among these courses is “Journalism 2.0: An Introduction to Twitter, Blogging & the Brave New World of Social MediaÀ.

The course is aimed at all journalists, full-time and freelance, who wish to cut through the hype, break through the fog of fear and scepticism, and learn to embrace the possibilities and the opportunities of new media.

What does “social mediaÀ really mean? Why is everyone talking about it? And how can you use it to sharpen your skills and enhance your currency as a working journalist?

If you’re a journalist, you already are a social media practitioner – using the traditional tools of your trade to reflect and connect the society around you.

Now it’s time to upgrade your toolkit, and be part of the most far-reaching and exciting communications revolution since Gutenberg yelled “Start the Presses!À This hands-on, interactive course goes beyond the buzzwords to cover the following areas and aspects of social media for journalists:

• How to use Twitter as a tool for shaping and refining your story, sharpening your ability to write and rewrite concisely and precisely, chasing breaking news, generating story leads and ideas, and tapping into the power of the always-on “thought-streamÀ of this ubiquitous new medium.
• How to extend your reach and prowess as a journalist by journaling on your own blog, becoming your own publisher, and learning to “write before you writeÀ by turning your blog into a valuable complement to your notebook.
• How to get the most out of such powerful online tools as YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia, Facebook, and Google Maps, using them as integral add-ons to your journalistic arsenal, rather than as substitutes for the skills and instincts that brought you into journalism in the first place.

Location: 9 Jubilee Rd Parktown Johannesburg
Contact: Mabatho or Jerry
Contact details: 011 484 1765 or print@iaj.org.za

To learn about this or other courses, click here.