If I had known about a class like this when I was in college, I hope that I would’ve taken it.
TOL Summer 2005 Foreign Correspondent Training Course
But 12 years ago I was in my cymbal playing, marching band, UCLA boyfriend bubble. Believe it or not, I didn’t even realize I was only the tiniest bit interested in writing until I was just about to graduate.
So, don’t you be like me. Grab this opportunity full force. If you have to beg and plead with your parents to cough up an extra few grand, or apply for scholarships, then do it.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn from teachers with “years of experience in Europe and Central Asia, working for major media organizations like CNN, the Boston Globe, Dow Jones, MSNBC, The Economist, Reuters, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.”
During the first week of the course, you will learn:
• The smartest (and quickest) ways to break into foreign reporting (by people who have);
• How to find your feet in a foreign country (when you don’t speak the language);
• When (and why) you should bypass official sources of information;
• How to pitch your ideas to editors;
• Finding (and reporting) the story no one else has;
• Tips on taking publishable photos to accompany your stories;
• How to “string” for several news organizations at once;
• Tips on staying safe in dangerous and unpredictable places;
• Common mistakes that even seasoned professionals make.
And from there on out you get to test what you’ve learned in Prague.
Here is the eligibility information and the application procedure.
Who is TOL? Read on.