Freelance Journalism Course Frequently Asked Questions

Freelance Journalism Course Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ: Common Questions About Our Freelance Journalism Course.

Please find answers to some of the most common questions we’re asked here. Please feel free to reach out to our friendly team using our contact us page if you have any other questions and will be happy to assist you.

This freelance journalism course is specifically structured for students with no experience in the field of journalism. The Academy welcomes beginning journalists/writers as the world is constantly in need of new talent. You need no specialised skill or qualification to become a successful freelancer. All you need is the desire to succeed.
The Professional Freelance Journalism Course Certificate of Completion is awarded to successful graduates of the course. The practical knowledge and experience you will acquire throughout this course is of enormous importance though as an editor will not ever ask to see a copy of your qualifications when considering if they will publish your article/story but they will ask for your pitch, and possibly even example of previous work.
The freelance journalism course is provided completely online. You will be emailed 12 modules of coursework, which covers the fundamentals of becoming a freelance journalist. You complete this online journalism course at home, at your own pace.
Tutorials arrive as a PDF which you can save to your computer, external hard drive, USB or print out for your convenience. A tutorial consists of roughly 40-70 pages of information, useful, self-exercises that you are to read and work through.

The course materials contain the information you will need to progress through your course however, you will be required to undertake personal research independent to the course material, such as reading newspapers, magazines and online publications, in order to fulfil the guidelines of each assignment (the internet is fine for this research). Your tutorials also form a great library of information long after you've completed the course.
You will be asked to identify follow up story ideas, write articles, produce grabbing pitches, conduct a celebrity round-up and develop a travel article idea, just to name a few.

Some assignments will take less time than others, but each requires the development of ideas and/or research into topics. The College advises to allow a minimum of two to four hours per assignment and as with everything in life, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
The content of the 12 and 24-week course is exactly the same. The only difference is in the pace at which you select to receive your tutorials. There are 12 tutorials in total and if you select the 12-week course, you will receive a new tutorial each week. If you opt for the 24-week course, you will receive a tutorial every fortnight. Regardless of delivery timeframe, you will still have 12 months to complete your coursework and submit your assignments.
It is hard to be specific about times, except to say you should probably budget for about four to six hours per tutorial to read and absorb your course material. However, you should also allocate additional time for assignment research and completion. You will have 12 months to complete your course.
There are no academic prerequisites for the course, although we do require you to be 16 years of age or older and we recommend you have a good command of the English language.

The other requirements are simple and straightforward:
 
  • An interest in writing
  • Motivation
  • Willingness to learn
If you have these qualities the Morris Journalism Academy will provide you with the knowledge and skills to ensure your success.
The course is designed to accomplish two things
 
  • To equip you with the knowledge and skills required to become a freelance writer either as a full or part-time career or as a profitable sideline.
  • To provide you with the knowledge and skills to gain entry-level employment as a journalist in mainstream media or to take on a role that focuses on writing projects (such as website content). This is accomplished by helping you to build a valuable portfolio of published material which is usually the determining factor in being offered mainstream media employment.
This being said, the course will still be of great interest and enjoyment to you if you are looking to study purely for fun or even if you are looking to simply tighten your writing skills.
The Academy doesn’t issue a list of required materials as we find that students can work within their own budget. Your course fees cover all learning materials, assessments, tutor feedback and student support. We only suggest you consider budgeting for basic necessities such as a notebook, pens, internet and computer access.

Basic word processing programs can provide you with enough features to complete your assignments professionally.
Contact with your tutor occurs via email/the student portal. We encourage all of our students to direct questions to us here at the Academy, our Student Success Team will assist where we can (and respond to any administration questions) and then forward any more complicated questions onto your tutor.
Enroling is easy! Simply request the course guide and follow the links to our sign-up page. If you are experiencing any difficulties, let us know and we will be happy to assist.
The Morris Journalism Academy has been operating since 2006. Previously, our directors ran the Australian College of Journalism. The Morris Journalism Academy is a division of Australian News & Feature Service Pty Ltd. Our directors and principals have been involved in all aspects of media work for more than 30 years. We have have trained students in more than 80 countries and territories. All course contributors are all successful professional journalists.
The Morris Journalism Academy and The Professional Freelance Journalism Course are approved with the International Approval and Registration Centre (IARC). The Academy is also a proud member of the International Association of Private Career Colleges (IAPCC). You can read more about the course accreditation here. (https://morrisjournalismacademy.com/course-accreditation)
Freelance journalism is an unregulated industry. This means that you need not have any professional qualification or memberships to official (or non-official) bodies or associations in order to work in the industry. Many professional journalists are self-taught or have had a successful career in another area, that then becomes their area of speciality to write about. You will find what you can do is far more highly regarded in the industry than any qualification you can obtain. Editors want to see skills demonstrated more than a piece of paper recognising some a qualification. As such, our course is intensely focused on the practical side of journalism. The assignments you complete throughout the course will go a long way towards forming the backbone of your professional portfolio that you will then be able to show to potential publications and editors in the future.
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