Advanced Freelance Journalism

Module 2. News Reporting 1A
Topic 1: Identify the attributes of a journalist and how these apply when writing for the media
Topic 2: Explain the five Ws and demonstrate how they fit into journalistic articles
Topic 3: Understand how a journalist should structure an article
Topic 4: Understand the importance of each of the different parts of an article
Topic 5: Understand and demonstrate using the journalist’s inverted pyramid when writing articles

Module 3. Freelance Journalism Essentials: Responsible Journalism
Topic 1: Identify the types of journalism publications and what is involved in reporting the news
Topic 2: Understand the importance of responsible reporting and why sensitive reporting is essential
Topic 3: Understand what equipment you need to start up as a journalist
Topic 4: Research and choose the right computer, digital equipment and accessories
Topic 5: Understand the importance of the Internet and email
Topic 6: Evaluate your office space requirements
Topic 7: Evaluate your freelance business requirements

Module 4. Writing as a Freelance Journalist
Topic 1: Understand how to lay out a query letter
Topic 2: Use rejections to improve your writing
Topic 3: Understand the importance of offering projects, not just ideas
Topic 4: Explain four common reasons for rejection
Topic 5: State why simultaneous submissions are risky
Topic 6: Know when on-spec submissions are acceptable
Topic 7: Explain how to lay out your stories

Module 5. News Reporting 1B
Topic 1: Use different techniques to get your story started
Topic 2: Understand the importance of angles and hooks
Topic 3: Understand when to use your opinion and when to be objective
Topic 4: Use direct and indirect quotes correctly
Topic 6: Module summary

Module 6. Research, Statistics and the Internet Topic 1: Use research and statistics to improve your story
Topic 2: Analyse content of home-based and external research sources
Topic 3: Access and search CD-ROM and online Internet databases
Topic 4: Compare and evaluate research facilities of public and academic libraries

Module 7. Journalism Interviews
Topic 1: Discuss strategies and techniques journalists use to conduct good interviews
Topic 2: Distinguish between active and passive article input
Topic 3: Describe how to set up formal face-to-face and telephone interviews
Topic 4: Apply the separate techniques of face-to-face and telephone interviews

Module 8. Writing Style
Topic 1: Contrast personal and house styles and apply your personal style to emphasise the message rather than the medium
Topic 2: Identify the common elements of publishing house style
Topic 3: Understand the different readership markets you are writing for
Topic 4: Use writer’s techniques to plan out, draft and write your articles
Topic 5: Apply the basics of language, grammar, punctuation and spelling to your writing
Topic 6: Apply journalism’s technical terminology appropriately

Module 9. Newspaper Writing and Subediting
Topic 1: Identify requirements of newspaper and magazine subeditors
Topic 2: Identify the most common editorial errors
Topic 3: Write in the correct language of newspapers
Topic 4: Edit short extracts from articles
Topic 5: Write concise, active headlines for articles
Topic 6: Understand the main points for writing editorials

Module 10. Media Law and Ethics
Topic 1: Explain the law of defamation, who can be defamed and how they can be defamed
Topic 2: List the four basic defences to defamation
Topic 3: List the seven rules of court reporting
Topic 4: Explain how to copyright your own work and avoid breaching the copyright of others

Module 11. Feature Writing
Topic 1: Explain what a feature is and give examples of different forms of feature stories
Topic 2: Identify a subject’s feature potential and how it can be developed
Topic 3: Research feature articles
Topic 4: Write feature articles
Topic 5: Review feature articles

Module 12. Writing Columns and Reviews
Topic 1: Apply your specialised qualification/s or interest/s to writing a column
Topic 2: Compare the relative merits/drawbacks of specialised vs. general journalism
Topic 3: Discuss a range of ideas for writing different reviews
Topic 4: Identify subject suitability for a preview/review
Topic 5: Consider the factors involved in sports writing
Topic 6: Consider the factors involved in travel writing
Topic 7: Write a column or review suitable for submission to an editor

Module 13. Applied Journalism and Multimedia
Topic 1: Apply a basic understanding of applied journalism
Topic 2: Apply an understanding of news reporting in a newsroom environment
Topic 3: Use multimedia in a journalism environment
Topic 4: Work within a legal and ethical journalism context
Topic 5: Produce copy under pressure and to deadlines

Module 14. Choosing Assignments
Topic 1: Discuss the difference between writing for newspapers and writing for magazines
Topic 2: Understand style and readership, and evaluate markets for your articles
Topic 3: Plan, write and edit an article for a magazine and newspaper
Topic 4: Submit magazine and newspaper articles to publishers
Topic 5: Understand the difference between domestic and international journalism markets

Module 15. Broadcast Journalism: Television and Radio
Topic 1: Be familiar with the electronic media market
Topic 2: Understand the use of audience demographics in profiling for the media
Topic 3: Understand the role of broadcast journalism in Australia
Topic 4: Apply journalism techniques when writing for television
Topic 5: Apply journalism techniques when writing for radio
Topic 6: Apply journalism techniques when writing scripts

Module 16. Photojournalism and Specialisms
Topic 1: Understand basic concepts in photojournalism
Topic 2: Be aware of photographic equipment requirements and basic use
Topic 3: Be aware of the principles of writing for specialised markets

Module 17. Professional Freelancing
Topic 1: Understand how to improve your acceptance/rejection ratio
Topic 2: Understand how to write and submit articles tailored to their market
Topic 3: Employ a standard approach to article submissions and define professional goals

Module 18. On Assignment
Topic 1: Plan and manage in a freelance environment
Topic 2: Cover a local round and produce news copy across a number of reporting areas
Topic 3: Investigate new and emerging opportunities in the market
Topic 4: Develop resources and build upon a journalism base
Topic 5: Use the technical language and behaviours of a journalist
Topic 6: Understand the essential factors of generating a freelance income