Participatory journalism and citizen reports occupy key positions in today’s news media environment, having become expected, regularized components of breaking and other forms of news as well as the topics of university projects and other types of training. Members of the audience are no longer consumers but participants in the news and information cycle.

Through this course you will be able to explore opportunities and avenues to tap the power of others in reporting, packaging and sharing stories (crowd sourcing). Be it the print media, broadcasting or new media, there are opportunities for ordinary citizens to report on issues around them and through this, make media enterprises better in touch with the issues on the ground and those they serve while getting more content than they would under usual practice.
Course units
• Introduction to participatory journalism
• New media and journalism
• Crowd sourcing and crowdsourced journalism
• Crowd sourcing tools (get and publish sms, photos, videos, audios, graphics)
• Choosing the best tools or combination (Ushahidi, frontlinesms, freedom fone, whatsapp
• Current practices in participatory journalism and crowdsourcing
• Application to the news and information production cycle

Objectives
The course looks at the benefits, risks and tools used in crowd sourced journalism and promoting participatory journalism. At the end of the course participants will set up initiatives towards engaging citizens in reporting and production of news and information

Course Duration: One month (4 hours a day, 5 days a week, 3weeks of remote support)

Equipment needed: Computer or good capacity mobile phone with space to install and test apps

Targeted market: Journalists, Editors, Media managers and owners, activists

Course Duration: 2 months (four hours a day, three days a week) OR 1 month, 5days a week

Targeted market: Journalists, Editors, Media managers and owners, activists

To read more about this course or to apply, please click here.