Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills Course (AWAReS)

Introduction

The Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills course (AWARES) is a programme that focuses not only on improving writing skills but also on facilitating proficiency in research as well as critical and cognate skills.  This course  will be of particular benefit to persons who work in the media and in public relations or who aspire to enter these fields, but it is also beneficial to those who merely wish to improve their writing skills. Important components of the course include learning to make adequate use of the web to present one’s work and the improvement of productivity through greater self-management. In addition to the core writing modules, participants will have the chance of specialising in one of the three available writing streams  Creative Writing, Business and Economic Writing and Reporting for the Media.

The Creative Writing stream is a practical course and will run principally in a workshop format. It will deal with the nature of creativity and creative writing as well as explore ways that lead to the generation of ideas, the development of story lines and storyboarding, the development of character and atmosphere as well as thematic development.

The Business and Economic Writing stream will provide adequate education in the requisites of business and economic reporting, and participants will develop skills to understand the discourse of corporate governance, financial markets, equity, privatisation, and a wide range of macro and micro economic issues, as well as business practices. This stream will also highlight the creative trend of persuasive business communication with the use of the new informative technologies and tools to transform the stiffness in written communication.

The Reporting for the Media stream will focus on the essentials of reporting and will consider the various forms of reports. Participants will learn how to develop a creative sense for news and how to put together an effective story structure. The identification of angles, the targeting of readers and the planning of interviews are other topics that this stream will deal with.

For Whom

1. Journalists, correspondents and reporters
2. Copy writers, creative writers in advertising agencies, and corporate organizations
3. Scriptwriters (in electronic and print media)
4. Film makers, producers, editors and sub-editors
5. Corporate executive and public relations officers
6. Those aspiring to improve their writing competence

Duration

20 days spread across 4 months