Building Blocks: Critical Skills for New Reporters

$699.00

In stock

Building Blocks: Critical Skills for New Reporters

Early in your journalism career? Master the fundamentals with Building Blocks: Critical Skills for New Reporters. Learn essential reporting techniques, storytelling methods, and newsroom navigation skills through live virtual sessions led by seasoned journalists. Get personalized mentorship, develop compelling story ideas, and build ethical interviewing skills while connecting with a supportive journalism community. Registration deadline: June 30.

July 14, 2025– August 4, 2025

Overview

  • Register by June 30 to learn from and receive individual mentorship from industry veterans.
  • Be taught by journalists Tom Huang, Kat McGrory, Fernanda Camarena and Kristen Hare via interactive virtual sessions.
  • Access a curated curriculum designed by Poynter, a globally respected institution for journalism excellence.
  • Build a strong foundation, including value-informed reporting, ideating and pitching, research and story structure.
  • Identify your personal challenges and receive guidance and feedback in one-on-one coaching sessions.

$699.00

In stock

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will:

  • Discover your origin story and connect it to your work, giving your reporting a well-grounded sense of purpose
  • Generate compelling story ideas, craft effective pitches and develop beat experience across diverse communities
  • Master best practices for gathering research and conducting interviews, leading to solid stories
  • Focus and structure stories for maximum impact, making sense of information and finding the heart of your narrative
  • Navigate newsroom dynamics, build strong professional relationships, and advocate for yourself and your work

$699.00

In stock

Overview

  • Register by June 30 to learn from and receive individual mentorship from industry veterans.
  • Be taught by journalists Tom Huang, Kat McGrory, Fernanda Camarena and Kristen Hare via interactive virtual sessions.
  • Access a curated curriculum designed by Poynter, a globally respected institution for journalism excellence.
  • Build a strong foundation, including value-informed reporting, ideating and pitching, research and story structure.
  • Identify your personal challenges and receive guidance and feedback in one-on-one coaching sessions.

Training five or more people?
Check out our custom training.

Rising reporters need mentorship. Poynter is here to provide it.

As newsrooms shrink and workplace models shift, early-career journalists are missing the mentorship that once came from working alongside veterans. Building Blocks fills this gap, providing the new reporter with the foundation, tools and community they need to launch a successful career in today’s ever-evolving media landscape.

“A lot of the best learning in journalism once came through osmosis,” said Kristen Hare, Poynter’s director of craft and local news and a faculty member in the program. “I learned how to persist with difficult sources, how to turn a daily into a powerful narrative and how to navigate the newsroom all thanks to veteran journalists at my first job. In an era when so many of us work remotely, when there are fewer veterans with less time and more news than ever, we have to teach the building blocks of our industry with a lot more intention.” 

This skills-focused training brings you four weeks of interactive online sessions covering essential reporting skills, from story ideation to ethical decision-making, led by seasoned Dallas Morning News editor Tom Huang. It offers personal coaching via one-on-one mentorship with veteran newsroom leaders who guide you to accelerate your professional development. Through Building Blocks, you become part of a community to share stories, ideas and experiences with. Form meaningful bonds with a diverse cohort of peers that continue long after the program ends.

“I coach and mentor younger journalists in my newsroom every single day,” Huang said. “I know how much support and guidance they want and need in building a great foundation that will help them launch successful careers. This seminar is a low-cost, fast way to boost their foundational skills.”  

Register by Monday, June 30, to get the tools, resources and guides you need to build a strong foundation for the rest of your reporting career.

Questions?

If you need assistance, email us at info@poynter.org.

Register by Monday, June 30, for an online seminar that equips new reporters with the tools and 1:1 coaching they need to hit the ground running and launch a successful career.

Building Blocks is a four-week virtual seminar featuring 90-minute weekly sessions, supplemented by asynchronous learning materials and one-on-one coaching.

Week 1 (July 14): Origin Stories

Explore your personal mission and values as a foundation for your journalism journey.

Session leader: Tom Huang

Week 2 (July 21): Brainstorming and Pitching Strong Story Ideas

Learn how to find fresh ideas and effectively pitch them to editors.

Session leaders: Kat McGrory and Fernanda Camarena

Week 3 (July 28): Reporting 2.0. Effective research and interviewing and reporting techniques

Develop the skills needed to do strong research and conduct effective interviews that result in solid reporting.

Session leader: Kristen Hare

Week 3.5 Reporting with public records – asynchronous session

Session leader: Kat McGrory

Week 4 (August 4): Focusing and Structuring the Story

Master techniques to find the heart of your story and organize your narrative.

Session leader: Kat McGrory

Coaching: Participants will receive a 45-minute coaching session with a veteran journalist during the four-week seminar to help identify challenges and set goals to launch a successful career.

All sessions are conducted online, with recordings available for viewing anytime you need them.

Who should enroll? 

This program is specifically designed for:

  • Journalists with up to five years of professional experience
  • Driven professionals from diverse backgrounds who are hungry for mentorship, guidance, and community
  • Early-career reporters looking to build a strong foundation of skills for career success
  • Reporters working in multiplatform newsrooms of any size—from small local outlets to large national publications
  • Journalists working in hybrid environments with a mix of in-office and remote schedules

If you’re energized about journalism but feel you’re missing a foundation of skills or mentorship in today’s newsroom environment, Building Blocks will provide the structure, support, and community you need to thrive.

Cost

$699 for four weeks of comprehensive guidance. This reasonably priced, virtual, multi-week seminar, powered by Poynter’s high standards and credibility, will help new reporters build the skills and acquire the tools they need to succeed in their careers.

The registration deadline is June 30.

Instructors

Instructors

  • Tom Huang
    Assistant Managing Editor for Journalism Initiatives, The Dallas Morning News
    Tom Huang is Assistant Managing Editor for Journalism Initiatives at The Dallas Morning News, where he oversees Sunday Page One, edits in-depth enterprise stories, handles...
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  • Fernanda Camarena
    Faculty
    Fernanda Camarena is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience in the media industry. As a full-time faculty member at Poynter Institute,...
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  • Kathleen McGrory
    Editor, New York Times Local Investigations Fellowship
    Kathleen McGrory is an editor for the New York Times’ Local Investigations Fellowship program. She was previously a reporter on ProPublica’s national staff. Before that,...
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  • Kristen Hare
    Faculty, Director of Craft and Local News, The Poynter Institute
    Kristen Hare is the Poynter faculty’s director of craft and local news and the author of Local Edition, Poynter’s weekly newsletter for and about local...
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Coaches

  • Ren LaForme
    Managing Editor
    Ren LaForme is the managing editor of Poynter. He was previously Poynter's digital tools reporter, chronicling tools and technology for journalists, and a producer for...
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  • Jennifer Orsi
    Vice President for Publishing & Local News Initiatives
    Jennifer Orsi is Poynter’s vice president for publishing and local news initiatives and oversees Poynter’s digital publishing, marketing and public event team, audience engagement and...
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