Reuters, the world’s largest multimedia news provider, announced today the launch of the Reuters Digital Journalism Course, produced in partnership with the Facebook Journalism Project.
The course provides free online training for journalists to improve their digital news gathering, verification and publishing skills, as well access to wellness and resilience resources.
The Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report this year cautioned that a “greater reliance on social media and other platforms give people access to a wider range of sources … some of which are at odds with official advice, misleading or simply false.” As the media landscape and news consumption habits change, journalists need to understand how to report responsibly, ethically and accurately.
The Reuters Digital Journalism Course provides foundational knowledge on digital news reporting for new and seasoned journalists alike, using compelling learning materials and hands-on tutorials in four modules:
Digital Newsgathering, which gives users the tools to find stories faster, analyze eyewitness reports and reach new audiences;
Verification and Reporting, which explores the essential skills of how to verify sources and content on digital platforms;
Publishing Effectively on Social Media, which focuses on producing powerful and engaging content;
Wellness and Resilience, which teaches the crucial ability to cope with online harassment and includes self-care 101. The mental well-being and safety of journalists is critical at a time when reporting has possibly never been more challenging.
“With news media firmly in the digital age, being able to use digital platforms safely and effectively is essential,” said Gina Chua, Executive Editor, Reuters. “The Reuters Digital Journalism Course offers best practices from Reuters journalists around the world to provide the foundation for sound journalism, whether you’re a budding journalist or a seasoned one looking for a refresher.”
“Facebook is proud to partner with Reuters to launch this new e-learning program and help our region’s journalists build strong foundational knowledge as they navigate the changing digital news landscape. Facebook is committed to supporting the region’s news community and ensuring reporters can continue their important work to keep our communities informed,” said the Facebook Spokesperson.
The Reuters Digital Journalism Course will first launch in Pakistan (English), Bangladesh (English), Thailand (Thai), Malaysia (English), Indonesia (Indonesian) and Sri Lanka (Sinhala), with further regions and languages to launch in the coming months. The course follows the success of the Reuters manipulated media course, an e-learning course to help newsrooms around the world spot deepfakes and manipulated media, available in 16 additional languages.
