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Course Details

Date

November 18 - December 15, 2024

Language

English

Alternative

Modules

4

November 18 - December 15, 2024

$0.00

Digital Content Creators and Journalists: How to be a Trusted Voice Online

This course is also available in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Are you ready to learn how to gain influence and trust with your audience in today’s digital world? Don’t miss the chance to register for the free four-week online course, “Digital Content Creators and Journalists: How to be a Trusted Voice Online,” organized by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas in partnership with UNESCO.

Whether you’re an aspiring or seasoned creator aiming to bring journalistic standards to your content or a journalist seeking to engage audiences in innovative ways, this dynamic course offers crucial insights and practical tools. Throughout four modules from November 18 to December 15, 2024, you will learn how to build audience trust, navigate the ethical responsibilities of shaping public opinion, and create compelling content during conflicts and crises, all while promoting media and information literacy.

Dive into the exciting world of digital content creation as you learn how to support freedom of expression and enhance public access to information through ethical, engaging, and reliable content. Equip yourself to combat online misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and harmful AI content. Collaborate with fellow journalists and content creators to promote transparency and accountability on digital platforms, empowering your audience with the media and information literacy skills they need to navigate today’s information landscape. Join us on this journey to make a meaningful impact!

You can read more about the course here.

This course is asynchronous, meaning there are no required live events, and you can complete activities at your own pace throughout each week.

The material is organized into five modules covering various topics through videos, guest speakers, readings, and discussion forums:

 

Introduction Module

Welcome! In this introductory module, you will get an overview of the course structure and meet the instructors, Salla-Rosa Leinonen and Enrique Anarte. They will address what we mean by “digital content creators” and discuss why it’s important to understand the role of digital content creators as key players in the new information landscape. There also are introductory reading materials for you to review to help prepare you for this course.

 

Module 1: Creating Ethical & Reliable Content: What Digital Content Creators and Journalists Can Learn from Each Other

Research shows that many people increasingly prefer to get their news and information from so-called “influencers” rather than “real” journalists. This module will assist you in understanding the new digital landscape, the role of trust in journalism and verified information, and how audiences gravitate more toward digital content creators. 

 

Module 2: Content Creators as Catalysts for Media and Information Literacy  

There’s no denying the important global role digital content creators have begun to play in disseminating news and information and helping shape public opinion. With the increasing influence of algorithms, online filter bubbles, and targeted content, there is a pressing need to understand how these factors shape and sometimes distort information available to online users. In this regard, media and information literacy play a crucial role in empowering content creators and users to navigate the challenges and opportunities of digital platforms.

This module dives into why journalists and digital content creators must be media and information literate and how you can promote and advocate for media and information literacy for your audience.

 

Module 3: Content creators and the right to freedom of expression  

What does freedom of expression mean to you? Have you wondered how you and the content you produce shape others’ enjoyment of the right to free expression? Are you aware of the laws governing freedom of expression and content creation in your country? This module provides an essential understanding of the fundamental right to freedom of expression, exploring its role as a cornerstone of human rights that enables other freedoms. 

 

Module 4: Creating Content in Times of Elections, Conflicts and Crises   

In times of humanitarian disasters, conflicts, climate emergencies, and health crises, verified and accurate information can be lifesaving. In such contexts, the integrity of information becomes even more critical, as misinformation, disinformation and harmful content online has severe consequences. Content creators are often at the eye of the storm as the content they produce has the power to amplify social divisions and public mistrust in information – further endangering vulnerable and minority communities.

 

Register now for free and gain immediate access to the introduction module materials. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at journalismcourses@austin.utexas.edu.

Enrique Anarte Lazo is a Spanish journalist and currently leads the award-winning TikTok channel of the Thomson Reuters Foundation at Openly, TRF’s global LGBTQ+ news platform. He has covered queer and human rights stories in over 15 countries and has worked for Reuters, NBC News, and DW, among others. In addition, he is an ambassador for the Poynter Institute’s media literacy initiative, MediaWise, where he focuses on misinformation targeting LGBTQ+ people. On his personal social media channels, he offers insights into European politics, queer issues, and misinformation.

 

 

 

 

Salla-Rosa Leinonen is a producer and writer for Finland’s public broadcaster Yle. She specializes in storytelling on social media to reach a young and “hard-to-reach” audience. Her goal is to create news, documentaries, and factual content accessible to diverse groups of people. At the youth media brand Yle Kioski, she works with Finland’s most talented young reporters and video journalists. From 2021 to 2022, Salla-Rosa was a fellow at LSE Polis, where she researched and published a paper on what journalists can learn from influencers.

 

Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas
300 West Dean Keeton
Room 3.212
Austin, TX, 78712

Phone: 512-471-1391

Email: journalismcourses@austin.utexas.edu