Freelance journalism

What is the course about?

This course is designed to equip beginners interested in freelance journalism for publications with the know-how required to enter this area of the media. The focus is on how freelance journalists operate and how they get their stories published.

What will we cover?

- News and feature introductions.
- Good and bad taste.
- Who to interview, who to quote and what questions to ask.
- How to edit your stories to length.
- How to spot mistakes.
- Getting published.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Write a short news report.
- Write a short feature.
- Have more confidence in your writing skills.
- Ask the right questions.
- Interview people with confidence.
- Understand the differences between news and features.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

The course is aimed at beginners and no skills are required. Energy and enthusiasm are more important than writing experience. Foreign language students can also attend the course if they have reasonably good English writing and speaking skills.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

This is highly practical course with both individual and group work. We will have discussions from articles - including the tutor’s own work; short film clips showing how news and features journalists operate, generate and produce articles; and you have the chance to quiz the tutor on what it’s like to work as a freelance journalist.

The Tutor
Tony Padman began his journalism career in 2001 as a news reporter on regional and national newspapers. After a solid grounding in news he turned to features by writing stories on health, religion, sport, education and entertainment. He continues to write news and features for the main Fleet Street publications.

City Lit reserves the right to change course tutors or venues from those advertised in this outline. In line with our
refund policy we are unable to grant a refund on the grounds of a change of tutor/venue.

All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.

For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.

City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

No additional costs. Bring pen & paper (and/or digital equivalent).

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

City Lit offers a range of non-fiction writing courses. For more information, browse the writing section of our website.

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.