A practical journalism and media writing course

Writing is a craft. The more you do it, the better you'll become. That's why this course will show you the key tips and techniques you need – and then follows them up with exercises so you can practice what you've learnt.

  • Taught by a newspaper and magazine editor who's worked across almost every subject area – including travel, entertainment, health, business and IT.

  • Suited for everyone, whether you're new to writing or an experienced professional who's smart enough to want a refresher.

A flexible writing course that works around your schedule

  • Study whenever and wherever you want

    Everyone learns at their own pace – which is why this course allows you to stop, start and replay a video lesson whenever you want.

  • Instant, on-demand access to video lessons

    There are six video sessions that each take between 45 minutes to an hour and a half, making this equivalent to a full-day course.

  • Redo the course as many times as you'd like

    Most courses only give you access for a year. Writing Essentials is different, giving you full access for five years after enrolling.

What does this writing course cover?

Whether you're writing news stories, features, press releases or marketing content, this course will teach you all the key skills and techniques you need.

Topics include:

  • how to craft short, snappy sentences that pull readers in
  • writing in the active voice
  • using positive language
  • writing with confidence
  • using the right tone of voice and style
  • cutting copy
  • making your intros stronger
  • showing, not telling
  • tips on writing in plain English
  • writing with the reader in mind
  • using the correct tense
  • how to write in the inverted pyramid style
  • what makes a story interesting.
  • writing a news feature
  • creating great headlines
  • grammar and punctuation (including knowing when to use a comma)
  • considering the medium – and purpose – of your writing
  • proofreading tips.

You will receive:

  • a handbook filled with key writing tips and techniques (PDF)

  • a certificate of completion (PDF)

Testimonials

“It was truly a great class! I was not sure what to expect from it at first, but going through the lessons I was pleasantly surprised. The lessons were short and to the point with great examples. I really took a great deal away from this writing course.”

Justin Carr

“I found this course really useful – just what I was looking for.”

Carol Bosnjak

“Thanks for a great writing course.”

Steve Cook

“Excellent course that challenged me to consider the messages/emails/articles I write as part of my role. Particularly made me think about the reader and methods I could use to engage with them better.”

Amy

“Dan was great! Lots of fun and I learnt a lot.”

Tristan Tulloch

“Really excellent. I particularly appreciated the writing exercises and your expertise!”

Jess

“An entertaining, informative and thoroughly enjoyable workshop.”

Peter M

“The workshop was informative and relevant. The presenter has a lot of knowledge on the topic.”

Kelly Li

“I enjoyed the Writing Essentials workshop and am already incorporating the tools in my work.”

Lissa Tucker

“Great course – I will definitely implement these tips in my day-to-day working life. A good refresher too.”

Josephine Avati

Who's the presenter?

Learn from someone with over 30 years of newspaper, magazine and marketing communications experience.


Dan Kaufman 

[email protected]


Dan Kaufman began his career in magazines, where he worked as a journalist, sub-editor and an editor for a variety of lifestyle and technology publications. 

He then moved to The Sydney Morning Herald, where he worked as an editor and a journalist for over 10 years. During that time he wrote for and edited almost every feature section – from travel, culture and entertainment to business, technology, health and science.

Since then he has: 

  • taught at the University of Sydney, UTS and the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ)
  • worked as an online content specialist, copywriter and communications manager
  • consulted to PR and marketing organisations
  • taught writing and editing courses for over a decade to a wide variety of organisations, from government departments to corporations, across almost every industry.


He is the director of Media Survival, an editorial consultancy that advises organisations on how they can improve their writing. He also still freelances for The Sydney Morning Herald. 

How much does it cost?

Ask questions, receive feedback or workshop your own writing

Combine the convenience of a self-paced course with the interaction of a live masterclass.

Let's be honest: live one-on-one sessions can become expensive. However, there are times when you want that personal touch – such as to receive feedback or ask questions about a specific issue.

That's why a cost-effective approach is hybrid training. Learn the majority of what you need with this self-paced Writing Essentials online course, and then only pay for a one-on-one session to cover issues specific to you. 

If that's of interest, we can easily arrange a Zoom session for an extra fee – and participants rarely need more than one or two hours after doing this course.

If you have any questions, you can email me here.

How is this media writing course taught?

This course is as engaging and easy to follow as it is practical, showing you skills and techniques you can immediately apply to your writing.

Every time you’ll learn a new technique – such as writing in the active voice – you’ll then be given exercises to allow you to practice it until it becomes second nature.

As the course progresses, the exercises become progressively more complex, allowing you to gradually put all the techniques you’ve learnt together.

Who'll benefit from this journalism and media writing course?

This course was created for journalists, editors, as well as PR, marketing and communications professionals.

It teaches key techniques that you can use when writing: 

  • news stories
  • features
  • marketing copy
  • press releases
  • profiles
  • reviews
  • event listings
  • newsletters
  • blog posts.


Having said that, it's also suitable for anyone who wants to improve their writing skills – even if they're not in the media. 

The course is taught in such a way that everyone can get something out of it, whether they're new to media writing or an experienced editor.

Take your media writing to a new level

Whether you're a freelance journalist, PR professional or work in content marketing, this course will give you the writing skills you need.

And no, you do not need AI to write – it will just slow you down

The biggest myth out there is AI will speed up your writing. It won’t. Writing well is far easier than most people realise, and this course will show you how to do so in a way that’s natural for you.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a brief. AI doesn’t know what’s most important to your reader. It doesn’t know how to structure it for your reader. And sure, you can prompt it, and prompt it, and then edit what it has to say – but it’s much faster, and better, to just do this yourself.

Don’t believe me? No problem: after all, even if you do use AI (and perhaps especially if you do), this course will show you the tips and techniques you’ll need to then make its writing as good as possible.