During the first few years of my journalism career I could count on attending some sort of workshop that would strengthen my craft. Sometimes it was feature writing. Other times it covered topics such as how to better cover my beat.

As time went those opportunities became less common, and when they were available neither my employer nor myself were able to cough up the money to go.


Now I am confronted with the knowledge that having more than a decade of experience today's j-school graduates are far better prepared for today's workforce. They are educated in what skills are needed in the workplace and they have a fresh perspective on the trends and tools.

I decided to use resources such as Poynter's News University and online journalism blogs to strengthen my knowledge of the craft. I will blog about my experiences in order to give other journalists, many of us struggling to pay bills much less pay for any substantial training, a chance to keep up on tips and trends.

Any feedback is welcome. I would like to eventually invite journalists and j-school educators to share their insights into the craft and what skills they believe tomorrow's journalists will need.

As much as possible my suggestions will center around resources that are either free or affordable.

So let's go to school.