DETAILS

The op-ed page is the most sought-after real estate in any publication, with more venues for your work as newspapers, magazines, websites, and blogs expand first-person content. Op-eds provide an opportunity for you to showcase great writing while laying out forceful arguments. This class will show you how to write powerful op-ed pieces that will make your voice heard in print, online, and around the world.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Conceive and structure a convincing op-ed
• Organize your thoughts to present the best argument possible
• Decide which topics have the most impact
• Use first-person technique to write an engaging essay
• Make a pitch editors will notice

By the end of class, you will have:
Three op-ed pieces, pitch letters, and ideas on where to pitch.

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times, NY Post, NY Daily News, The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Newsweek.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

This class will provide you with the skills necessary to find work as a professional fashion writer. Through insight into the fashion world and media, you'll learn to grasp the different styles of fashion journalism and gain insight into and an understanding of the fashion industry.

Using trend reports, reviews of collections, and analyzing the craft and business of fashion, you'll learn how to tackle fashion stories from different angles for high fashion magazines, non-traditional publications, and websites. Learn the value of networking, creating and keeping contacts, and how to work with PR to get the heads-up on scoops and invites to press launches and fashion shows. You'll also learn to write pitch letters and emails to secure interviews with designers.

Throughout the course, you'll build a portfolio of spec clips that will exhibit your ability to analyze and report on fashion.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Watch shows, interpret collections, and develop an eye for inspiration
• Write fashion headlines, runway reviews, and fashion features
• Use your personal style to create stories that editors crave
• Understand the differences between fashion editors, writers, and freelancers
• Write compelling pitch letters

By the end of class, you will have: 
A pitch letter for a fashion feature and a collection of clips for a high fashion magazine.

Students who have taken this class have been published on:
NYMag.com, Glamour.com, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

Travel writing is a way to engage with the world and to build a bridge that brings faraway places home. This advanced class for experienced writers examines the romance and realities of this exciting and lucrative market.

You'll consider the various forms of the field, from travel-related news items to personal essays, with the goal of selling these pieces to local, regional, and national publications. Each week, students will be assigned a travel-related article up to 1,000 words, along with an optional pitch letter, and will investigate unfamiliar neighborhoods, seek out experts in the field, and demonstrate the highest levels of research and reporting.

This course generally requires a commitment of at least eight hours a week of outside work.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Use where you live to break into the travel market
• Find and develop your beat
• Make travel a conduit to writing beyond the travel section
• Write perfect pitch letters
• Negotiate with your editor for travel compensation

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete portfolio of eight publishable articles and pitch letters. Assignments will generally include a travel-related news item, a service round-up, a destination piece, a day trip within the region, a historical research piece, an article on the tourism business, and a personal travel essay.

Students who have taken this class have been published in: Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, The Los Angeles Times, Budget Travel, Dwell, Gourmet, Men's Journal, Modern Bride, National Geographic Traveler, Salon.com, Saveur, Time Out New York, New York Magazine, The Boston Globe, Conde Nast Traveler, and The San Fransisco Chronicle.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

This class will teach you how to create and edit entire pages in Adobe InDesign, the industry-standard page layout program for magazines, newspapers, and print content publishers.

Through lessons and assignments, you'll gain hands-on experience and practice. Weekly discussions include live video presentations and demos through our webcast platform. After this class, you'll be able to confidently add "skilled in Adobe InDesign" to your resume.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Use the toolbar and palettes
• Create and edit style sheets
• Import images, add colors, and change colors
• Change and edit the built-in spell check
• Customize your hyphenations

By the end of class, you will have:
Knowledge of Adobe InDesign for editing projects.

You will need access to Adobe InDesign software to complete assignments. You can download a free 30-day trial version of the Adobe InDesign CS5 at adobe.com. Students can complete assignments using any version of InDesign.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Journalism.

DETAILS

You’ve mastered writing and editing for publications. But can you crop and resize photos, navigate a content management system, or understand what makes a great user experience?

Thanks to improvements in computer software and content management systems, you don’t have to be a web developer or tech person to create dynamic digital content. Through assignments and discussions, you will learn how to think past the written word and create content that is multi-dimensional and editorially relevant, uses the web to its full potential, create stories that have social media campaigns built in, and increases your value as an employee.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Navigate and create content in a basic Content Management System, such as WordPress
• Crop, resize, and optimize photos, create graphics, and enhance static text through basic HTML/CSS
• Understand what makes a user-friendly website and how to create UGC contests that maximize and enhance your social presence
• Know which web technologies to follow and which to ignore
• Measure effectiveness and revenue potential through traffic and user engagement analytics

By the end of class, you will have:
A thorough understanding of how to conceptualize, articulate, and execute digital content that enhances your site’s editorial mission and is technologically sound.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Copy Editing.

DETAILS

Remember sixth grade English class? We don't either.

Get a grammar refresher and learn the rules that matter and those you can break. This course will help you navigate best grammar and style practices to produce clear, concise and engaging copy for editorial, business, or creative writing.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the various parts of speech
• Make sure your subjects, verbs, and objects agree
• Ensure that punctuation serves the sentence
• Craft a perfect sentence
• Define of exactly what style is and why it differs from style guide to style guide

By the end of class, you will have:
Training in the fundamentals of grammar to improve your current and future writing projects.

DETAILS

Learn how to make the current climate in both publishing and parenting work for you. We'll explore the different outlets available to parenting writers, from blogs to websites to magazines, as well as the story ideas and formats that editors are looking for. Learn the nuts and bolts of researching, writing, and revising a parenting story. We'll also show you how blog posts, magazine stories, and newspaper stories differ, and how to develop strong relationships with your editors. 

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Mine your life, experience, and connections for ideas
• Define yourself as a parenting writer
• Identify which market is right for you -- magazines, blogs, or websites
• Target your pitches
• Research topics and identify sources

By the end of class, you will have:
Two stories with pitch letters, a list of targeted venues for publication, and a strategy for getting published.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

Travel writing is a conduit to other genres, from food and art to politics and technology. The skills and experience you'll gain covering travel can be applied to any writing project you take on.

Throughout this class, we'll extensively workshop your pitches and articles, and you'll finish with a series of solid pieces ready to sell.

With the guidance of James Sturz, Vanity Fair staffer-turned author, students will dissect the anatomy of travel pieces, from travel-related news items to service round-ups to personal essays. Each week, you’ll produce an article and pitch letter, and will be expected to investigate unfamiliar neighborhoods, seek out experts in the field, and demonstrate the highest levels of research and reporting. Students will have the option to create a travel blog or website showcasing their work.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the rules of reporting, interviewing, and finding sources
• Know what travel editors look for 
• Find travel story ideas and pitch them successfully
• Turn one trip into dozens of story ideas
• Know where to pitch outside of travel publications

By the end of class, you will have:
Two salable travel pieces and pitch letters.

This course generally requires a commitment of at least eight hours a week of outside work.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Copy Editing.

DETAILS

This course is for anyone who wants to break into copy editing or feel more confident wrangling words. We'll cover the basics, from understanding copy editing marks to avoiding rookie grammar mistakes. You'll have the tools needed to enter the field and an understanding of how to create smooth, readable copy. And you'll have another skill you can add to your resume and put into action.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Determine when a sentence needs tweaking or is best left alone
• Understand copy editing lingo, including proofreading symbols and common terms
• Navigate stylebooks and prepare for a copy editing test
• Find the best reference materials for a copy editing assignment
• Tailor a resume and find copy editing jobs

By the end of class, you will have:
Knowledge of the copy editing field and the tools to pursue a job as a copy editor.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM
  
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

You don't need a tech degree to write about the industry. In fact, this  fast-growing beat seeks out people with a journalism background. From sites including TechCrunch, CNET, Gizmodo, Wired, Engadget, and Mashable,  there's a multitidude of opportunities for both new writers and seasoned journalists. In this course, you’ll work with a tech journalism pro to learn the key elements that make up compelling trend pieces, profiles, and gadget reviews. By the end of this course, you'll have tech stories ready to be published in tech news outlets.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Find and develop sources for your articles
• Research and track emerging trends in tech
• Reach out to companies to get on distribution lists
• Write trend, profile, and gadget review pieces
• Pitch print and online outlets to get published

By the end of class, you will have:
At least two articles ready to be published in to tech news outlets.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Copy Editing, Digital Journalism, and Ad Copywriting.

DETAILS

Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, almost anyone can publish content online. The trick is getting people to read what you write -- and pay you for doing it.

This course will show you how to write, edit, and produce engaging online content.

We'll discuss how to thrive in a high-tech medium with the editorial skills you already have. We’ll highlight the main differences between writing and editing for the Web versus print. We'll also talk about the trends in online journalism and what they mean for professional writers and editors.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the basics of usability including rules to follow when creating your site
• Navigate your blog presence
• Use message boards, social networks, and online communities to find sources
• Come up with interactive elements for your Web content
• Understand emerging trends, including online video, social networking, and microblogging

By the end of class, you will have:
The skills to write engaging Web content that connects with readers and expands your audience. Students will also have the opportunity to get a clip published on About.com.

DETAILS

From Anna Quindlen to Adam Gopnik, the work of personal essayists is increasingly filling the pages of magazines and websites, offering readers a glimpse of inner worlds and casting a light on the larger world around them.

This class will focus on writing and selling first-person narratives, starting with short opinion and slice-of-life pieces appropriate for The New York Times op-ed page, and moving on to longer, reported pieces written in the first-person. Assignments will be workshopped and ready for pitching.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Find a narrative voice to anchor your essay
• Tell a personal story without being whiney
• Tell someone else's story
• Know what to leave in and what to leave out
• Self-edit and assess your voice, style, and tone

By the end of class, you will have:
At least two complete and salable personal essays.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

In this intensive workshop, limited to 12 students, Marie Claire senior editor Whitney Joiner will help you fine-tune your essays for publication. You'll work on your voice, narrative, and identity while drafting pitches and focusing in on where to market your essay. Each week you will receive detailed feedback as you work toward polishing your personal essay for submission to editors.

By the end of class, you will have:
At least two polished essays and pitches ready to submit to editors.

This class is purely workshop-based and does not contain written lectures.

Admission Requirements:
Students should come to class with a complete draft of their essay(s). Apply with a letter of interest and writing sample.

The online classroom has several components:

• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

An effective content strategist is part editor, part marketer, part business analyst. When you understand content strategy, you can build a revenue model that sustains a digital media business. 
 
This course will help you define and expand your content business by using audience data to drive creative decisions. You'll create a strategy that considers brand identity, audience habits, cultural trends, and revenue initiatives.   
 
In class, you'll learn how to:

• Create editorial content that aligns with the overall business goals
• Develop a content distribution strategy that works across web, social media, mobile, e-books, and emerging platforms
• Understand the content types that best reach your viewers including video, audio, graphics, and interactive features
• Analyze and measure content performance to evaluate your strategy
• Understand content management and metadata strategies to best organize, sort, and repurpose content

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

Travel writing is a conduit to other genres, from food and art to politics and technology. The skills and experience you'll gain covering travel can be applied to any writing project you take on.

Throughout this class, we'll extensively workshop your pitches and articles, and you'll finish with a series of solid pieces ready to sell. You'll also create your own blog, develop a mission, and learn about opportunities for publishing online.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the rules of reporting, interviewing, and finding sources
• Know what travel editors look for 
• Find travel story ideas and pitch them successfully
• Turn one trip into dozens of story ideas
• Know where to pitch outside of travel publications

By the end of class, you will have:
Two salable travel pieces and pitch letters.

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
National Geographic Traveler, Travel & Leisure, Outside, Sunset, Bon Appetit, Entrepreneur, San Francisco, Time Out New York, and Budget Travel

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

With the ever-changing landscape of media and the instant availability of global information, TV news has to keep up. But they also have to get it right. With breaking news like the marathon bombings or the healthcare decision, the rush to be first can come at the expense of being accurate. Whether you're a blogger, editor, producer, reporter, or news junkie, you need to understand the challenges that networks face as they strive to deliver the right information at the fastest pace.

In this webcast, Rick Kaplan, former president of MSNBC and CNN and current media consultant for HBO's The Newsroom, will discuss how he has taught networks to be bold and smart as they manage social media and breaking news. 

You'll learn how to:

• Use Twitter as a lead, not a source
• Determine which social media networks and websites are most valuable for news gathering and reporting
• Manage new technologies
• Balance being first with being accurate

• You'll participate in a live video discussion with an expert speaker who will provide insights, case studies, and real-world examples of strategies that have worked
• You'll have the chance to ask questions and get advice from the speaker in real time
• You'll receive a copy of the speaker's presentation slides and access to a recording of the presentation
• If you can't make it to the live presentation, you can watch the recording for one week after the live broadcast
  

DETAILS

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Journalism and Social Media Marketing.

DETAILS

A blog can help you stand out, whether you're an author building your marketing platform, a freelance writer creating an online portfolio of clips, or a business owner growing your customer base.

Learn how to design, promote, and maintain a blog to build your authority as a writer, forge connections with an audience, or drive sales for your brand. 

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Choose a blogging platform that's right for you
• Design, organize, and archive your blog using categories, tags, and photos
• Use effective tagging, SEO writing, and comment management to develop an audience
• Integrate social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Digg, Stumbleupon)
• Build connections with your blogging community with link sharing

By the end of class, you will have:
A blog complete with a mission statement, profile page, a basic knowledge of HTML, and 8-10 blog posts.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions