Projects
This page is a curated collection of well-written, step-by-step guides for learning Journalism through hands-on, project-based practice.
What I cannot create, I do not understand — Richard Feynman.
These projects are meant to support learning throughout the curriculum, not only at the end.
By building, writing, creating, or reconstructing real artifacts in the field, learners develop practical understanding alongside theoretical study.
Tutorials
- News Article
- Feature Story
- Investigative Report
- Profile
- Opinion Piece / Editorial
- Data-Driven Story
- Long-Form Narrative
- Podcast Episode
- Video News Package
- Interactive Explainer
- Newsletter Edition
- Photo Essay
News Article
- How to Write a News Article: A Complete Guide (Grammarly tutorial)
- How to Write a News Story in 15 Steps (Library guide)
Feature Story
- How to structure a feature article (Step-by-step process)
- A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Compelling Feature Article (Journalism University walkthrough)
Investigative Report
- Learn How to Write an Investigative Feature in 5 Steps (MasterClass with Bob Woodward)
- Getting Started in Investigative Journalism (GIJN guide)
Profile
- How to Write a Profile Feature Article (NYT step-by-step)
- How to write a profile story (Shorthand tips and examples)
Opinion Piece / Editorial
- HOW TO WRITE AN OP-ED OR COLUMN (Harvard Kennedy School guide)
- The Washington Post guide to writing an opinion article (WaPo guidelines)
Data-Driven Story
- Step-By-Step Guide for Journalists on the Basics of Google Sheets (GIJN tutorial) — provides foundational workflow for handling and analyzing data in journalism stories
- A Reporter's Guide to Excel (GIJN guide) — demonstrates core data processing steps used in data-driven reporting
Long-Form Narrative
- 15 best practices from award-winning reporters for producing narrative long-form journalism (LATAM Journalism Review) — outlines key production methods and workflows from experienced practitioners
- Reporting and writing scenes: The foundational building block of stories (Nieman Storyboard) — explains scene-gathering and construction techniques essential to narrative building
Podcast Episode
- How to Create a Podcast: A Step-by-Step Guide (Journalism University) — details planning, research, and production process adaptable to journalistic audio storytelling
- Writing for Podcasts - Introduction to Podcasting (University of Toronto guide) — covers scripting and structuring segments for narrative audio
Video News Package
- Constructing a TV news package (Media Helping Media) — breaks down reporting, shooting, and editing workflow for TV-style packages
- JOURNALISM: HOW TO MAKE A VIDEO NEWS PACKAGE (YouTube tutorial) — demonstrates full assembly including voiceover, interviews, and visuals
Interactive Explainer
- Getting started with Shorthand: 3 minute tutorial for beginners (Shorthand YouTube) — shows practical steps to build multimedia interactive stories
- Journalist's Toolbox: Flourish Tutorial (YouTube tutorial) — guides creation of interactive data visualizations common in explainers
Newsletter Edition
- How to Start Your Own Media Newsletter (GIJN guide) — offers principles and curation strategies for journalistic newsletters
- How to start a Substack (Substack official) — provides workflow for creating and publishing newsletter editions
Photo Essay
- How to Create a Photo Essay: Step-by-Step Guide With Examples (MasterClass) — outlines selection, sequencing, and storytelling process
- Creating Photo Essays About Community: A Guide to Our Where We Are Contest (NYT Learning) — pedagogical directions for structuring and depicting photo narratives