Freelance/Student £140
Members £115
*Tickets include lunch
Writing for digital is exactly the same as writing for print. And completely different. This practical workshop teases out the differences between the two; familiarises participants with the principles of good writing and the fundamentals of storytelling; and explores the best ways to approach digital forms of communication including social media and blogging.
The principles of writing
- Why writing for digital is exactly the same as writing for print. And why it’s completely different
- What George Orwell can teach us about language and readability
- EXERCISE #1: Simplifying language
- EXERCISE #2: Decoding the press release
- Understanding online reading habits
- 6 more tips for writing online
News writing and the fundamentals of storytelling
- The Inverted Pyramid of news. And why it still matters
- The Five Ws (and the H) of news
- How to define an audience
- Establishing length
- Defining tone of voice
- EXERCISE #3: Reworking the press release
Social media: best practice
- 6 ways social media can help your communications
- 11 examples of social media in action
- EXERCISE #4: How to tweet
How to blog
- How to blog: the ‘atomised’ Inverted Pyramid
- 3 blogging archetypes that work
- EXERCISE #5: Writing a blog post
Crafting powerful headlines
- Why headlines matter more on the web
- Tailoring headlines for the web
- Newspaper headlines that probably don’t work online
- Headlines that do work online
- EXERCISE #6: Writing a killer online headline
SEO: a brief introduction
- A practical guide to keyword research
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in- chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in- chief of dotcom start-up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
]]>Freelance/Student £125
Members £100
With more than 16 years’ experience in digital journalism, pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop on writing for the web. You will gain an understanding of the principles of writing for the web, how it differs from print, how to establish a successful blogging persona and why the headline must work much harder online.
In this interactive session, attendees will be given plenty of opportunities to hone their craft. The workshop is ideal for new and emerging journalists, established journalists making the transition from print to web and communications professionals seeking to extend the reach and impact of the written word.
The workshop will cover the following:
1. The principles of writing
- Why writing for the web is exactly the same as writing for print. And why it’s completely different
- What George Orwell can teach us about language and readability
- EXERCISE #1: Simplifying language
- EXERCISE #2: Decoding the press release
- Understanding online reading habits
- Six more tips for writing online
2. News writing and the fundamentals of storytelling
- The Inverted Pyramid of news. And why it still matters
- The Five Ws (and the H) of news
- How to define an audience
- Establishing length
- Defining tone of voice
- EXERCISE #3: Reworking the press release
3. Blogs, longer reads and structure
- How to create a structure
- How to plan
- How to blog: the ‘atomised’ Inverted Pyramid
- Three blogging archetypes that work
- EXERCISE #4: Writing a blog post
4. Headlines
- Why headlines matter more on the web
- Tailoring headlines for the web
- Newspaper headlines that probably don’t work online
- Headlines that do work online
- EXERCISE #5: Writing a killer online headline
5. SEO: an introduction
- A practical guide to keyword research
- . . . Final thoughts
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in-chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in-chief of dot com start up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
Images via Shutterstock.com / a6photo and Jon Bernstein
]]>Freelance/Student £125
Members £100
In the fast-paced evolution of digital journalism, it is essential to get to grips with the social media landscape around you. Pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop to teach you how to get the most out of your online tools.
From understanding the basics of social media and their applications in journalism, to the fine art of online editing, this workshop is ideal for established and emerging journalists alike. It will also appeal to anyone in a communications role who truly wants to understand the power of social media.
The workshop will cover the following:
1. Social Media: Understanding the basics
- What is social media and why it matters
- Exercise #1: Defining social media
- Two tales from the newsroom that demonstrate the power of social
- Six ways journalists use social networks
2. Getting to grips with Twitter
- The Twitter Audit
- The Twitter Glossary
- Exercise #2: How to Tweet
3. Social media in action
- When to post online: how consumption habits are changing
- Eleven examples of social media in action
- The Audit: Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and the rest
- Exercise #3: Creating a social media campaign
- How to manage your social media footprint all in one place
4. How to blog
- Blogging basics
- What kind of blogger are you? Introducing three archetypes
- Establishing a tone of voice
- How to get noticed
- Exercise #4: Writing a blog post
- Blogging dos and don’ts
- Final thoughts: Eleven social media tips
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in-chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in-chief of dot com start up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
Images: via Shutterstock.com / Peshkova and Jon Bernstein
]]>Freelance/Student £125
Members £100
With more than 16 years’ experience in digital journalism, pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop on writing for the web. You will gain an understanding of the principles of writing for the web, how it differs from print, how to establish a successful blogging persona and why the headline must work much harder online.
In this interactive session, attendees will be given plenty of opportunities to hone their craft. The workshop is ideal for new and emerging journalists, established journalists making the transition from print to web and communications professionals seeking to extend the reach and impact of the written word.
The workshop will cover the following:
1. The principles of writing
- Why writing for the web is exactly the same as writing for print. And why it’s completely different
- What George Orwell can teach us about language and readability
- EXERCISE #1: Simplifying language
- EXERCISE #2: Decoding the press release
- Understanding online reading habits
- Six more tips for writing online
2. News writing and the fundamentals of storytelling
- The Inverted Pyramid of news. And why it still matters
- The Five Ws (and the H) of news
- How to define an audience
- Establishing length
- Defining tone of voice
- EXERCISE #3: Reworking the press release
3. Blogs, longer reads and structure
- How to create a structure
- How to plan
- How to blog: the ‘atomised’ Inverted Pyramid
- Three blogging archetypes that work
- EXERCISE #4: Writing a blog post
4. Headlines
- Why headlines matter more on the web
- Tailoring headlines for the web
- Newspaper headlines that probably don’t work online
- Headlines that do work online
- EXERCISE #5: Writing a killer online headline
5. SEO: an introduction
- A practical guide to keyword research
- . . . Final thoughts
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in-chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in-chief of dot com start up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
Images via Shutterstock.com / a6photo and Jon Bernstein
]]>Freelance/Student £125
Members £100
In the fast-paced evolution of digital journalism, it is essential to get to grips with the social media landscape around you. Pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop to teach you how to get the most out of your online tools.
From understanding the basics of social media and their applications in journalism, to the fine art of online editing, this workshop is ideal for established and emerging journalists alike. It will also appeal to anyone in a communications role who truly wants to understand the power of social media.
The workshop will cover the following:
1. Social Media: Understanding the basics
- What is social media and why it matters
- Exercise #1: Defining social media
- Two tales from the newsroom that demonstrate the power of social
- Six ways journalists use social networks
2. Getting to grips with Twitter
- The Twitter Audit
- The Twitter Glossary
- Exercise #2: How to Tweet
3. Social media in action
- When to post online: how consumption habits are changing
- Eleven examples of social media in action
- The Audit: Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and the rest
- Exercise #3: Creating a social media campaign
- How to manage your social media footprint all in one place
4. How to blog
- Blogging basics
- What kind of blogger are you? Introducing three archetypes
- Establishing a tone of voice
- How to get noticed
- Exercise #4: Writing a blog post
- Blogging dos and don’ts
- Final thoughts: Eleven social media tips
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in-chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in-chief of dot com start up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
Images: via Shutterstock.com / Peshkova and Jon Bernstein
]]>Freelance/Student £125
Members £100
With more than 16 years’ experience in digital journalism, pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop on writing for the web. You will gain an understanding of the principles of writing for the web, how it differs from print, how to establish a successful blogging persona and why the headline must work much harder online.
In this interactive session, attendees will be given plenty of opportunities to hone their craft. The workshop is ideal for new and emerging journalists, established journalists making the transition from print to web and communications professionals seeking to extend the reach and impact of the written word.
The workshop will cover the following:
1. The principles of writing
- Why writing for the web is exactly the same as writing for print. And why it’s completely different
- What George Orwell can teach us about language and readability
- EXERCISE #1: Simplifying language
- EXERCISE #2: Decoding the press release
- Understanding online reading habits
- Six more tips for writing online
2. News writing and the fundamentals of storytelling
- The Inverted Pyramid of news. And why it still matters
- The Five Ws (and the H) of news
- How to define an audience
- Establishing length
- Defining tone of voice
- EXERCISE #3: Reworking the press release
3. Blogs, longer reads and structure
- How to create a structure
- How to plan
- How to blog: the ‘atomised’ Inverted Pyramid
- Three blogging archetypes that work
- EXERCISE #4: Writing a blog post
4. Headlines
- Why headlines matter more on the web
- Tailoring headlines for the web
- Newspaper headlines that probably don’t work online
- Headlines that do work online
- EXERCISE #5: Writing a killer online headline
5. SEO: an introduction
- A practical guide to keyword research
- . . . Final thoughts
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in-chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in-chief of dot com start up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
Images via Shutterstock.com / a6photo and Jon Bernstein
]]>Freelance/Student £125
Members £100
With more than 16 years’ experience in digital journalism, pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop on writing for the web. You will gain an understanding of the principles of writing for the web, how it differs from print, how to establish a successful blogging persona and why the headline must work much harder online.
In this interactive session, attendees will be given plenty of opportunities to hone their craft. The workshop is ideal for new and emerging journalists, established journalists making the transition from print to web and communications professionals seeking to extend the reach and impact of the written word.
The workshop will cover the following:
1. The principles of writing
- Why writing for the web is exactly the same as writing for print. And why it’s completely different
- What George Orwell can teach us about language and readability
- EXERCISE #1: Simplifying language
- EXERCISE #2: Decoding the press release
- Understanding online reading habits
- Six more tips for writing online
2. News writing and the fundamentals of storytelling
- The Inverted Pyramid of news. And why it still matters
- The Five Ws (and the H) of news
- How to define an audience
- Establishing length
- Defining tone of voice
- EXERCISE #3: Reworking the press release
3. Blogs, longer reads and structure
- How to create a structure
- How to plan
- How to blog: the ‘atomised’ Inverted Pyramid
- Three blogging archetypes that work
- EXERCISE #4: Writing a blog post
4. Headlines
- Why headlines matter more on the web
- Tailoring headlines for the web
- Newspaper headlines that probably don’t work online
- Headlines that do work online
- EXERCISE #5: Writing a killer online headline
5. SEO: an introduction
- A practical guide to keyword research
- . . . Final thoughts
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in-chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in-chief of dot com start up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
Images via Shutterstock.com / a6photo and Jon Bernstein
]]>Freelance/Student £125
Members £100
In the fast-paced evolution of digital journalism, it is essential to get to grips with the social media landscape around you. Pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop to teach you how to get the most out of your online tools.
From understanding the basics of social media and their applications in journalism, to the fine art of online editing, this workshop is ideal for established and emerging journalists alike. It will also appeal to anyone in a communications role who truly wants to understand the power of social media.
The workshop will cover the following:
1. Social Media: Understanding the basics
- What is social media and why it matters
- Exercise #1: Defining social media
- Two tales from the newsroom that demonstrate the power of social
- Six ways journalists use social networks
2. Getting to grips with Twitter
- The Twitter Audit
- The Twitter Glossary
- Exercise #2: How to Tweet
3. Social media in action
- When to post online: how consumption habits are changing
- Eleven examples of social media in action
- The Audit: Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and the rest
- Exercise #3: Creating a social media campaign
- How to manage your social media footprint all in one place
4. How to blog
- Blogging basics
- What kind of blogger are you? Introducing three archetypes
- Establishing a tone of voice
- How to get noticed
- Exercise #4: Writing a blog post
- Blogging dos and don’ts
- Final thoughts: Eleven social media tips
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in-chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in-chief of dot com start up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
Images: via Shutterstock.com / Peshkova and Jon Bernstein
]]>On Tuesday 7 July 2015, the Frontline Club hosted a discussion on the problem of protecting journalistic sources in the age of digital surveillance.
Hosting the panel of experts was journalist and president of the Foreign Press Association Paola Totaro. The discussion touched upon issues of the law, journalist’s ethics, state transgression and best practices in protecting your sources.
The panel included journalists Julie Posetti, Jonathan Calvert and Paul Myers, as well as Gavin Millar QC, a specialist in media law.
Left to right: Gavin Millar QC, Jonathan Calvert, Paola Totaro, Paul Myers and Julie Posetti
The problem, Posetti said, is clandestine surveillance undercutting the legal protections of sources. “It’s all very well to say I can stand up in court and protect my source, but if my source has been exposed in a clandestine manner it becomes quite problematic,” she said.
Posetti, is an Australian journalist and academic and has been working on a UNESCO commissioned study on the protection of sources in the digital era. She told the Frontline Club that digital surveillance changes so quickly, working on the UNESCO report was “like working on a breaking story for a year and a half.”
“[Alan Rusbridger, former editor of The Guardian] said to me that he felt that dealing with the threat to the protection of sources in the digital age was a lot like fighting zombies,” Posetti said. “Every time you think you’ve solved a problem… another one will pop up, another door will open.”
Legal frameworks protecting journalists are being increasingly strained.
“They are increasingly at risk or erosion, restriction and compromise… [representing] a direct challenge to the established universal rights, human rights, to freedom and privacy,” said Posetti.
Here is our 11-point plan to help secure source protection in the digital age: http://t.co/cmzhIzrw5P @frontlineclub #SaveOurSources
— Julie Posetti (@julieposetti) July 7, 2015
Importantly this is not just an issue for the UK. “In many states the consequence for an investigate process being revealed are severe.”
Millar told the Frontline Club that most of the legal protection for journalists against digital surveillance actually originated from the European Union. He echoed Posetti’s concerns of state agencies subverting the law.
“There was an understanding, misplaced, that [state surveillance] didn’t go on where the purpose of exercising the power was to identify journalistic sources… That’s all gone down the pan in recent years unfortunately,” said Millar.
There is a lack of judicial oversight in the UK, said Millar, particularly with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). Introduced in 2000, this law was designed to security services in counter terror however is being used by the police as a way to bypass the need to go through a judge
“The law enforcement agencies had got into the habit of the self help remedies that are available under RIPA and [authorise surveillance powers] without a judge being involved,” said Millar, who cited the Chris Huhne and the so called plebgate cases.
Gavin Millar QC (Left) and Jonathan Calvert
“There’s a strange correlation between political embarrassment and abuse of state powers when it comes to journalistic sources,” said Millar.
This abuse of surveillance powers, said Millar, is so ingrained in the working culture of law enforcement and intelligence agencies that the legal reforms proposed by Posetti and her UNESCO report would be ineffective if policing culture did not change with it.
“The principle is all fine and dandy, but it ain’t gonna be worth a hill of beans if they [the police and security services] don’t play ball, if the culture within those organisations is not… strictly and enthusiastically rule of law compliant,” said Millar. “I don’t even know to what extent they’re sidestepping even RIPA.”
What can be done by journalists to protect their sources in the meantime? First and foremost, said Calvert, is to always be aware that you can’t always protect your sources.
Currently the editor for The Sunday Time’s Insight Team, Calvert is an investigate journalist who has been working in the industry for decades. “I’ve sort of always have been aware that private detectives, government agencies can get access to my material,” he told the Frontline Club.
Paul Myers
Where possible, Calvert said that using low-tech methods is key to avoiding surveillance. “For year’s we’ve been doing things like going to internet cafés, using any old Hotmail address, using several Hotmail addresses, making sure we’re never connected to our IP address [a number unique to every computer]. And even this is not fool proof.”
There are online tools that can be used as well, said Myers, an internet research specialist at the BBC. Security can be cumbersome so first and foremost you need to know how at risk you are from surveillance and act accordingly.
It is also important to understand how your computer can leave a trail. “You could visit [a] website and leave a footprint from the BBC’s IP address, or you could set up a Hotmail account not realising that Hotmail betrays the fact that you used a BBC computer,” said Myers.
As for encryption; “You’re dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t,” said Myers; using too much encryption can cause suspicion. “It’s like kind of walking into a bank wearing sunglasses, a fedora and a fake beard; they don’t know who you are but they know you’re up to no good,” he said.
It’s important to remember, however, that despite the risks digital journalism has also made investigative journalism easier in other respects. “The Swiss leaks, offshore leaks, Luxemburg leaks, a whole range of leaks that have been in part, you know, depended on this age of reporting that rely on digital interaction with sources,” said Posetti.
“We are like cockroaches as investigative journalist,” Posetti said quoting Janine Gibson of Buzzfeed: “we must survive this, we have to keep going… I’m optimistic because I think ultimately we can establish the vital importance of investigative journalism.”
]]>Freelance/Student £125
Members £100
With more than 16 years’ experience in digital journalism, pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop on writing for the web. You will gain an understanding of the principles of writing for the web, how it differs from print, how to establish a successful blogging persona and why the headline must work much harder online.
In this interactive session, attendees will be given plenty of opportunities to hone their craft. The workshop is ideal for new and emerging journalists, established journalists making the transition from print to web and communications professionals seeking to extend the reach and impact of the written word.
The principles of writing
- Why writing for the web is exactly the same as print; and why it’s completely different
- Understanding the audience
- What Orwell can teach us about language and readability
- Establishing the right tone of voice
- Determining length and frequency
- Five writers who understand the digital form
News and feature writing
- The inverted Pyramid of news and why it still matters
- The Five Ws of News
- Finding a killer angle
- Reporting vs opinion
- News vs Features
- NEWS WRITING EXERCISE
Blog writing
- The ‘atomised’ Inverted Pyramid
- When is a blog not a blog?
- Five blogging personas
- Seven blog writing tips
- BLOG WRITING EXERCISE
Headlines and social media sells
- Why headlines and sells matter more on the web
- Tailoring headlines and sells for the web
- HEADLINE WRITING EXERCISE
- Ten headlines that work online, and ten headlines that don’t
- SEO: An introduction
- A practical guide to keyword research
About the trainer
Jon Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, editor and digital strategist. He was deputy editor, then digital director, at the New Statesman; multimedia editor at Channel 4 News; ran the Channel 4 FactCheck website during the 2005 general election; editor-in-chief of Directgov, working in the Cabinet Office’s eGovernment Unit; and editor-in-chief of dot com start up and technology website silicon.com. In 2011, he was named Website Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors for Newstatesman.com.
Images via Shutterstock.com / a6photo and Jon Bernstein
]]>