Foreign Correspondent Training Course, July 2013 - Schedule

The course comprises  two main sections: classroom training sessions with highly experienced journalists and the practical reporting project. In the time allocated to the reporting project, participants conduct research and interviews and write their story, under the guidance of the course trainers. 

 

Sunday, July  21

17:00 - 18:00 Arrivals and registration
19:00 - 21:30 Welcome dinner

 

Monday, July 22

09:30 – 12:30 Breaking into the Trade (Michael Jordan) 

• How to generate salable ideas
• Approaching the right publications and editors
• How to master the '"formula" of foreign correspondence
• Advance research, determining the best sources
• Arranging the logistics of your reporting trip
• How to produce an accurate "snapshot" of the situation once on the ground

 

14:00 – 17:00 Reporting assignment

 

Tuesday, July 23

09:30 – 12:30  Multimedia Reporting (Nedim Dervisbegovic)

• What should be included in a multimedia journalist's toolkit (hardware and software)
• How to evaluate a story and decide what multimedia elements work best
• Introduction on how to record good audio, shoot good photos and record good video
• How to edit the content you have gathered

 

14:00 – 17:00 Reporting assignment

20:00 Evening concert

 

Wednesday, July 24

09:30 – 12:30 Tips of the Trade (Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR)

• Female foreign correspondents – the benefits and challenges to being a woman in what was once a man's game.
• The Arab Spring – a lot of fodder for freelance but how do you keep the story going?
• War-time reporting – what works, what doesn't.
  • Economic reporting – the backbone of European and Asian foreign correspondence, but often the most boring.
  • Tips on how to keep your audience – and editors – riveted.
  • How to excel at narrative story-telling.
  • Tips for great radio stories. 
  • The art to finding local, affordable talent to tackle stories in unfamiliar places.

 

14:00 – 17:00 Reporting assignment

 

Thursday, July 25

09:30 – 12:30 Life as a Foreign Correspondent (Ian Phillips)

• How to become a foreign correspondent
• How to find stories (a clue: they are rarely on page one of the local press)
• News agency journalism (getting a foot in the door, what we do)
• Multimedia convergence (the increasing influence of TV and the new media landscape)
• Dealing with editors at long distance and pitching stories   

 

14:00 – 17:00 Reporting assignment (story deadline 19:00)

 

Friday, July 26

09:30 – 12:30 Radio Free Europe tour and war reporting

• Precautions reporters should take ever before they hit the ground
• Staying safe once they arrive
• The ethical and moral responsibilities associated with covering conflict
• The debate over “embedded” journalism

 

14:00 – 17:00 Reporting for radio (Rob Cameron)

• Successful stringing
• Writing for radio, how to be clear and concise, but not boring
• Use of sound, how to liven up your reports and create a sense of place
• Interview techniques, what makes a good radio interview
• Package techniques, how to get the most out of story and produce great radio

Saturday, July 27

Free day

 
Sunday, July 28

Free day

 

Monday, July 29

09:30 – 12:30 Story review (Michael Jordan)

Michael will review the stories with participants, pointing to successful examples and highlighting areas for improvement. He will provide his edits and suggestions for participants to be able to improve their stories and increase their chances of publication. 

 

14:00 – 17:00 Free afternoon

18:00 Closing dinner

 

Tuesday, July 30

Departures