Top 10 Courses on Photojournalism You Can Audit for Free

Photojournalism can be described as telling stories or conveying news using photography. Following are a combination of journalism as well as photography courses that will not only help students understand journalism but also get a grip over photography. Students can then go on to integrate the learnings from both and tell the stories they want the world to listen to using these two skills.

These courses are ideal for students, professionals, photographers, or journalists who are already practicing and want to sharpen their skills.

Community Journalism: Digital and Social Media

This course is highly relevant to the students of this age interested in journalism who want to create their community news websites or connect them online. The course is being offered by Cardiff University and can be completed in 5 weeks. No prior knowledge or training is required to pursue this course. In this course, students will look at the different types of communities, identify the right audience, set up a community website, and get it going with content. In the process, students will also learn to use the platforms WordPress, Twitter and Facebook and also learn the importance of abiding by the law and being ethical while engaging the communities online.

Media Writing and Editing

This online course is being offered by the Ohio State University and can be completed in 3 weeks. The course is ideal for students, media professionals and anyone with an interest in journalism and those who would like to understand the style of writing used in the press. In this course, students will learn how to write and produce professional news content, develop the Associated Press Style of writing and strengthen their grip over grammar. Students will understand the importance of and need for fairness and accuracy in news stories. They will also learn basic interviewing and researching skills and learn to write articles in the inverted pyramid and feature style.

Journalism, the Future and You!

This course is a part of a specialization on becoming a journalist that is being offered by Michigan State University. This is a beginner’s course and can be completed in 33 hours. In this course, This course will help students understand the paths that one can pursue after completing their course in journalism as a journalist, a freelancer, an international correspondent or a self-publisher. Students will learn about the ethical boundaries in journalism and the tough decisions that they might sometimes have to take. They will be equipped to look at journalism from a global perspective.

Cameras, Exposure and Photography

This course is a part of a photography specialization that is being offered by the Michigan State University. Students can complete the course in 21 hours at their own pace. In this course, students will begin with the fundamentals of photography and move on to the differences and similarities in cameras and their capabilities. Students will learn how to set up their cameras for their images and also how to make their decisions based on the output that they expect.

Commercial Photography: Still and Moving Image

This course is ideal for professionals who are already employed in the commercial photography field and would like to sharpen their skills. The course is being offered by the Norwich University of the Arts and can be completed in 4 weeks. In this course, students will understand the importance of developing one’s visual sensibility to work well in commercial photography. Students will explore the relationship between still and moving image photography and understand the need to have a consistent approach across both disciplines. Alongside this, students will also learn how to operate with sound and the technicalities of cameras for recording.

Photography Techniques: Light, Content and Sharing

This course is also a part of the photography specialization that is being offered by Michigan State University as mentioned above. The course can be taken individually and can be completed in 24 hours. In this course, students will learn what makes up a photograph and the fundamentals of light. This will include the essential light and exposure principles, continuous light to in-built camera flash, i.e. everything that will help students develop a solid foundation on the understanding of light. In the end, students will also learn how to share their digital images and creations and the precautions that they can take to protect their creations.

Digital Photography: Creating a Professional Portfolio

This is an online micro-credential in creative arts and media that will help students build their skills in digital marketing, image editing, image capturing, communicating vision and intent and building a portfolio. The program is being offered by the Open University and the Royal Photographic Society and will require 10 weeks to be completed. In this program, students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the functionalities of cameras, create high-quality digital images, identify different photographic genres, apply different photography techniques and develop their photographic style.

Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative worlds, emerging technologies and global audiences

This course will help students tell their own transmedia stories by providing unique, authentic, and industry-relevant learning. The course is being offered by the University of New South Wales and can be completed in approximately 25 hours. In this course, students will learn what transmedia storytelling is, understand creative thinking techniques that will help you build your stories and understanding as well as engaging their transmedia audience.

Gathering and Developing the News

This course is ideal for students interested in journalism or professionals in the fields looking at sharpening their skills. The course is being offered by Michigan State University and can be completed in approximately 24 hours. In this course, students will learn where to look for information, how to look for information and how to process information that is gathered from different sources. Along with finding the sources, students will also be equipped with the tools for finding the sources and they will also learn more about interview methods and the different forms that interviews can take.

Effectively Delivering the News to Your Audience

This course is a part of the journalism specialization being offered by Michigan State University that has been mentioned above. In this course, students will learn how to process the information that has been collected and present them in the form of news reports. Students will learn the different forms of reporting and the different formats that can be followed for appealing to different audiences. Students will learn how to go beyond written words and take on different forms of journalism.

The language of instruction for all of the courses is English and English subtitles are available for most courses as well. Some of these courses can be audited for free while some of them might require an enrolment fee. Financial aid might also be available for some of the courses.