Facebook and Reuters have announced a partnership that should be of interest to anyone interested in the journalism field, but lacking the necessary knowledge or skills. This as the pair are offering a free online Digital Journalism Course as a part of the tech giant’s Project Journalism initiative.
Given the amount of misinformation that regularly spreads on the platform it is interesting to see Facebook dedicate resources to help train future journalists, while also making it free.
The Reuters Digital Journalism Course aims to support journalists in eight countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and India, with an aim of building a strong foundation in digital reporting and editing. On the African continent, three countries have been earmarked, with those in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya having access thanks to Facebook having physical offices in those regions.
“The curriculum was developed by Reuters and includes modules on digital news gathering, news verification and reporting, publishing on social media, wellness and resilience training while reporting,” explains a press release about the initiative sent to Hypertext.
“With news media firmly in the digital age, being able to use digital platforms safely and effectively is essential. 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,” adds Gina Chua, executive editor at Reuters.
Following completion of the course, certification will also be given, which should help to add a bit more weight to CVs for young journalists on the search for a job.
“At Facebook, we’re grateful to journalists across Africa who are working hard to keep their communities informed about the issues that matter to them—especially when the pandemic has made working conditions so challenging. We are delighted to support news media with tools and training to navigate the new challenges of the digital era,” notes Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Facebook’s Strategic Media Partnerships manager regarding the partnership.
With access to valuable resources often proving quite costly, here’s hoping this freely available course will benefit those it is intended to.
To find out more about the course, head here.
