ST PETERSBURG, FLA. – News University (www.newsu.org), The Poynter Institute’s innovative e-learning center that helps journalists through self-directed training, today released its latest beat-specific course, “On the Beat: Covering Cops and Crime.” This free course, a partnership between Criminal Justice Journalists (CJJ) and NewsU, helps reporters learn how to tackle various aspects of the police beat.
“When we wanted to develop this course, we found the CJJ an excellent resource. They understand what journalists who cover cops need to know; NewsU knows how to present the information in an engaging, interactive and enjoyable format,” said Howard Finberg, director, interactive learning, The Poynter Institute/NewsU. “Covering cops is such an important beat in every print and broadcast newsroom. Our new e-learning module will help reporters, producers and editors.”
“Many news organizations assign journalists to cover the police beat with no training or guidance,” said Ted Gest, president of Criminal Justice Journalists. “This course should give them a solid grounding in the basics.”
The course helps journalists understand legal terms, how to navigate police departments, develop sources and mine the beat for story ideas. In addition, they’ll learn how to go beyond breaking news to provide readers and viewers with context to tell richer stories.
“Even with 10 years of experience, I learned about a few sources and got several good reminders,” said Melissa Manware, public safety reporter for The Charlotte Observer. Manware served as a tester for the online course.
About the course
This is a free, self-directed course that participants can work through at their own pace. It also includes a glossary of terms and a list of online resources for covering police and public safety. The total time to complete the course is about one to two hours in one session. You also can access the course sections on your own schedule, starting and stopping at your convenience. And you can come back anytime once you enroll.
For a first-hand look at “On the Beat: Covering Cops and Crime” and other online training courses for journalists, please visit www.newsu.org.
About Criminal Justice Journalists
Criminal Justice Journalists (http://www.reporters.net/cjj/), founded in 1997, is a national organization of reporters and editors who cover crime and justice. It is affiliated with the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology of the University of Pennsylvania and publishes a daily news digest sponsored by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Through The Poynter Institute, the group operates Cops and Courts Reporters, a discussion list of 500 members. CJJ is based in Washington, D.C., and is headed by Ted Gest, a former newspaper and magazine journalist who also is coordinator of the Council of National Journalism Organizations.
About News University
News University (www.newsu.org) offers newsroom training to journalists and journalism students through its interactive e-learning program and links to other journalism education and training opportunities. The program is a project of The Poynter Institute funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
About The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute (www.poynter.org) is a school for journalists, future journalists and teachers of journalism. Poynter conducts about 50 seminars annually in the areas of leadership and management; reporting, writing and editing; broadcast and online; ethics and diversity; and visual journalism. The school owns Times Publishing Co., the parent company of the St. Petersburg Times, Congressional Quarterly and other publications.
About Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities. One of its signature programs is Journalism Initiatives. Since 1950, when Knight Foundation was created, the foundation has approved more than $250 million in journalism grants.