Tools for Educators

Poynter's News University values its partnership with thousands of teachers so we have created this "Tools for Educators" page. Learn more about the fall semester of our J101 project and how you can be part of this program in the spring. You can also learn more about how to incorporate NewsU courses in your curriculum as part of a digital course pack or certificate program. If you want more information, please send an e-mail to info (at) newsu.org.

  • Introduction to Journalism: Our J101 E-Learning Project

    Our Introduction to Journalism (J101) program is a 16-week online course taught in partnership with your college or university. Designed to satisfy graduation requirements for a core journalism class, Poynter NewsU works with you to ensure the curriculum meets your school’s standards.

    J101 provides an overview of the basic skills and values of journalism and features live video teaching by Poynter faculty and adjuncts, as well as lessons drawn from more than two dozen self-directed modules on NewsU.

    Students complete work independently and in small groups and attend live online lectures and chats. On-site teachers may also coach and mentor students in person. University officials interested in learning more about the program should contact Howard Finberg, at hfinberg [at] poynter.org or 727-821-9494.

    You can follow our progress with the pilot J101 project at www.newsu.org/j101project. We'll post various documents, including a schedule and assessment methods as the course unfolds.

  • Face-to-Face: Conversations with Journalists

    Put your students face-to-face with journalists they'd never otherwise meet, learning about the immense power of reliable information—and the challenges of getting it. Face-to-Face features speakers to whom students would not otherwise have access, such as journalists and newsmakers in the Middle East, bloggers and war correspondents. The work of these journalists has an impact, even if they are not household names.

  • Certificate Program and Digital Course Packs

    Assess your students’ understanding of essential journalism skills and best practices with a certificate program or digital course pack from Poynter’s NewsU. You conduct the teaching and coaching, and we provide the readings, activities and assessments. Use certificates and course packs as a way to evaluate students' skills or to supplement other teaching materials.

    Custom programs have been developed in partnership with the several universities, including the University of South Florida and Marquette University. Interested in a custom program for your class or school? Contact us at info@newsu.org.

  • Syllabus Exchange

    Share teaching materials with your fellow educators. Syllabus Exchange lets you easily upload and download syllabi, assignments and other resources. Our goal is to build the largest database of journalism, mass communication and electronic media teaching materials.

  • Poynter NewsU Training Points

    Our new rewards program lets you earn training points every time you watch a Webinar, tell a friend about a course or join in other e-learning at Poynter's NewsU. You can redeem your points for Webinars, software training, video tutorials and more. The more you learn, the more you earn.