Are you ready to join the new wave of local news journalists? They are answering a critical need for someone to cover community news as traditional media outlets shrink or fold, all together. Hundreds of news platforms—some legacy, others start-ups—are now open to the use of freelancers and volunteers to help them tell their region’s stories. If you can write well and shoot photos and video with a smartphone, you may have what it takes to cover the news at the local level. This eight-week course introduces the basics of news reporting and writing for mass media. You will also learn principles needed to be an effective and ethical journalist. The class will be a combination of lectures, discussion and guest speakers. It also requires outside reading, writing and research that can be done from home. Your goal will be to get at least one original piece published in your community by the end of the course.