Course Overview

This is the seventh course of nine offered through the Citizen Reporting Certificate Program. Students will learn how to interact with strangers in order to gain the necessary information to tell a story. Topics covered in this course include:

• Understand how to talk to strangers and ask open-ended questions
• Uncover the motivation of interviewees and what they are willing to share
• Discuss the importance of hostile interviews and uncovering hidden information
• Identify newsworthy points in a meeting agenda
• Understand the basics of what you can share
• Prioritize information to be shared
• Interpret budgets

Course Structure

Class Dates: 12/4/23 thru 12/17/23

CR106 is a non-credit course 14 days (2 weeks) in length, which has an average time commitment of 3-7 hours per weekly module. The class is offered online in an asynchronous format, meaning you can work on the course any time of day. All instructional materials are included, and will be hosted through Point Park University's LMS, Canvas. Throughout the course you will receive feedback from industry-professional instructors, and a tangible piece of work.

Instructors

Luis Fabregas
Executive Editor at Trib Total Media

An award-winning journalist with more than two decades of experience. He is president of the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania.

Ben Schmitt
Deputy Managing Editor at Trib Total Media

Ben Schmitt has worked at newspapers for more than 25 years, including the Detroit Free Press and Savannah Morning News. He won a national Emmy award in Detroit and was part of a reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize

Contact Information

All questions regarding the program should be sent to the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at SCPS@PointPark.Edu