Capstone: Create your own professional journalistic portfolio

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/become-a-journalist-capstone

Introduction

**Course Review: Capstone: Create Your Own Professional Journalistic Portfolio** Are you ready to step into the shoes of a journalist and showcase your skills through a professional portfolio? The Coursera course, "Capstone: Create Your Own Professional Journalistic Portfolio," is the perfect opportunity for learners who have developed an interest in journalism and wish to put their knowledge into practice. This final course in the journalism specialization serves as a comprehensive guide to not only creating a news report but also building a multitude of essential skills that every journalist needs. ### Course Overview The Capstone course provides a unique hands-on experience that allows learners to conceptualize, research, report, and compile a news story from scratch. It’s designed to be a culmination of everything learned during the specialization journey, so students can effectively showcase their journalistic capabilities. Whether you are an aspiring journalist, a communications professional, or just someone wanting to delve into the world of news reporting, this course promises valuable insights and practical experience. ### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Capstone News Report Portfolio: The Start!** The course begins by focusing on the creation of your portfolio and selecting the topic and style for your news report. This stage is crucial as it sets the groundwork for everything that follows, allowing you to define both the angle and the narrative style. 2. **Capstone News Report Portfolio: News Gathering** Once your topic is chosen, the next step is delving into the world of news gathering. You'll learn how to utilize various news sources like government documents and statistical data while planning informative interviews. This section encourages learners to build a solid foundation of credible information that will serve as the backbone of their report. 3. **Capstone News Report Portfolio: Interviewing Sources** A significant part of journalism revolves around interviews, and this section focuses on developing your interviewing techniques. It teaches the importance of crafting effective questions and conducting interviews ethically. Being able to obtain insightful quotes and information is central to the storytelling aspect of journalism, and this module helps learners hone those skills. 4. **Capstone News Report Portfolio: Assembling Your News** With gathered research and interview content, it's time for the creative work of assembling the news report. This stage emphasizes critical thinking and news judgment, transforming raw data and facts into a coherent and compelling news report. The challenges of this step reflect real-world journalistic practices where flexibility and creativity are key. 5. **Capstone News Report Portfolio: The Final Product!** The course culminates in presenting your crafted news report to the Coursera community. You'll submit a draft for peer feedback, which is an invaluable aspect of the learning experience. Utilizing this feedback encourages continuous improvement and refinement of your work, mirroring the collaborative nature of the journalism field. Additionally, you'll earn a "Journalism" badge that recognizes your efforts and achievements. ### My Recommendation The "Capstone: Create Your Own Professional Journalistic Portfolio" is a course that I highly recommend for anyone looking to break into journalism or improve their reporting skills. The structure is thoughtfully designed to simulate real journalistic processes, making it an immersive experience. The course not only helps build a professional portfolio but also enhances key skills such as critical thinking, communication, and ethical journalism practices. The feedback loop through peer reviews is particularly beneficial, helping to cultivate a sense of community and support among learners. Furthermore, the course structure accommodates beginners while still challenging seasoned professionals looking to refine their skills. In conclusion, if you are demonstrating even a slight interest in journalism, this course is a fantastic investment in your professional development. Dive in, embrace the journey, and come out with a tangible portfolio piece that reflects your unique voice and journalistic prowess!

Syllabus

Capstone news report portfolio: the start!

You are now embarking on the important steps to create your own journalistic news report portfolio, which is be your Capstone final assignment. This journey will take you through the process journalists use to deliver the news to their audiences, providing a strong opportunity to display your skills honed during the Specialization Courses. You will start your portfolio here, through making your first choices: determining the topic and style for your news report.

Gathering of information for your Capstone news report is a critical step, as strong development and work at this stage will help produce a professional quality final product. You will gain experience and practice using news sources such as government documents, statistics, planning for interviews with people. You will plan your sources for your news report, and further your understanding of the newsgathering process.

This may be the most challenging step of the process for some Learners! But we know you can do it. Journalists need to be strong interviewers - and listeners - in order to get the information, quotes and understanding needed to compile professional news reports. You will master the interviewing process, by developing your questions, ethically and effectively conducting the interviews, and then reviewing your content for your news report development.

This is the stage where you take all the research, interviews and facts and transform it into a news report for a public audience. You will execute, based on your own journalistic process, developing critical thinking skills, news judgment and the art of delivering ethical and effective news reports for your audience. It's sometimes easy, sometimes very challenging. Each news report is unique. Follow where your facts, news gathering and interviews take you.

Congratulations! You are almost to the finish line of this Specialization Capstone. We know you have come a long way in learning about journalism and how journalists work. Now it is your turn to present your work to our Coursera community. But first, you need to make sure your news report is ready for the world! You will present a draft to the learner community, receive the Learner peer feedback, and use it make the news report final! It is time for YOU to be the journalist, using your skills, ethics and standards honed during this Specialization. Your social media "Journalism" badge will also be unlocked for you within this course.