Whether you are expanding your existing coverage or starting from scratch, developing a new beat can be challenging. New relationships need to be formed. Familiarity with different communities may be required. Trust needs to be built. Stories need to be found.

By attending this class, you’ll learn:

• How to identify key sources on your new beat and develop relationships with them over time.

• How to find the authoritative voice on a complicated beat to get exclusives and drive coverage.

• How to use social media to identify new stories and find sources within your beat without having a huge following.

Instructor: Alexa Gagosz, The Boston Globe

The New England First Amendment Coalition launched in 2020 a monthly educational series featuring short, practical lessons on journalism and the First Amendment.

The goal of the program — called “30 Minute Skills” — is to provide reporters and other citizens knowledge they can use immediately in newsgathering, data collection, storytelling and other areas of journalism and First Amendment law.

The lessons are provided in a 30-minute format to accommodate the demanding schedules faced by many working in New England newsrooms. The program is free and open to the public. Registration for each lesson is required.

30 Minute Skills is supported in part by the Estate of Gloria Negri, the late trailblazing journalist who spent more than 50 years at The Boston Globe.

As threats against journalists become increasingly common, reporters must take measures to protect themselves while newsgathering. This lesson will focus on online risks and how they can be mitigated.

By attending this class, you’ll learn:

• The necessities for protecting your electronic devices, such as encryption, 2FA, passwords and phishing awareness.

• How to reduce the risk of doxxing.

• How to develop best practices for social media when used for both personal and professional purposes.

Instructor: Stephanie Sugars, U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

The New England First Amendment Coalition launched in 2020 a monthly educational series featuring short, practical lessons on journalism and the First Amendment.

The goal of the program — called “30 Minute Skills” — is to provide reporters and other citizens knowledge they can use immediately in newsgathering, data collection, storytelling and other areas of journalism and First Amendment law.

The lessons are provided in a 30-minute format to accommodate the demanding schedules faced by many working in New England newsrooms. The program is free and open to the public. Registration for each lesson is required.

30 Minute Skills is supported in part by the Estate of Gloria Negri, the late trailblazing journalist who spent more than 50 years at The Boston Globe.