Freelance Writing, Media Justice + Writing With Care Workshop

Course Outline

With a focus on sustainable travel, information literacy and ethical journalism, this program is designed to equip aspiring freelancers with the confidence, skills and experience to pitch and publish their writing.

Over the course of four weeks, you will attend daily writing workshops taught by a team of editors, journalists, academics and poets. Classes are seminar-style and will feature a combination of instruction, reading, discussion and activities.

Workshops with local language and cultural educators are also a component of this course.

Course Learning Outcomes	On successful completion of this course you should be able to: Analyse features of different genres, from editorial to creative non-fiction Research effectively (e.g. source analysis, data interpretation) Generate story ideas worthy of investigation Interview effectively Develop story concepts and pitches in the appropriate format for identified markets, platforms and socio-cultural, socio-political or environmental causes Write copy that meets all the parameters of a brief, e.g. target audience, tone etc. Write articles in various genres, coming up with original and unique angles for story ideas appropriate for specific target demographics Detect media bias Produce an eBook Edit audio and produce a radio story or podcast Critically edit and review your own and other writers' work, and provide constructive feedback Locate pitching guidelines and publications to submit to Communicate effectively with editors and have confidence pitching your work Build an online platform to showcase your own work Get set up as a freelancer Start a publication Basic language skills
Program Learning Outcomes	In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes: Gain an understanding of narrative storytelling; effective communication techniques; audience engagement; and emerging trends in digital and social media Acquire and apply the skills necessary to produce content suitable for digital platforms, both written and audio; edit and subedit your own and others' work professionally; pitch effectively; create digital platforms; and manage a personal brand Identify and sculpt relevant content for target audiences Develop media and information literacy skills Embrace media justice, cultural relativism, sustainable travel practices and the principles of ethical journalism
Overview of Learning Activities	The learning activities included in this course are: Daily writing workshops taught by editors, writers, radio presenters, academics, poets, founders and publishers One-on-one and peer-editing workshops In-class exercises and projects When in Japan, Spain or Indonesia, language classes from a local language school / when in Australia, workshops taught by local Aboriginal cultural educators
Assessment	Group Assignment In a small team, you will be required to research, write and self-publish an eBook guide to the area of your choice in the country you are residing in. This will be put together on a design program like Canva or InDesign, with the profits directed however you choose. Each student is required to contribute at least eight reviews, and roles will be self-determined (e.g. editor, subeditor, designer, photographer, social media manager etc.) Individual Assignment Article suitable for the publication/s of your choice (to be extensively workshopped in peer and one-on-one editing workshops before it is formally pitched)
Course Schedule	Introduction to Course Copywriting and Travel Writing Making a Guidebook Introduction to Writing Tasks Writing About Japan: What's with the hype? Creative Non-Fiction Writing: The Travel Narrative Writing for Change Finding a Story, Researching and Investigating Feature Writing Essay and Opinion Writing Interviewing Editing and Subediting Ethics and Power Choosing and Refining Angles Podcasting Poetry Anti-patriarchal writing Pitching to an Editor Working as a Freelancer Starting a Publication Group Editing Workshop One-on-One Mentoring Session