Melinda J. Irvine

“If there are things that are said that are not true or things in the report that can be contradicted, it’s our job to unearth them.”

Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward, bestselling author of ‘All the President’s Men’ and ‘The Final Days‘ has a Masterclass. He is one of the world’s most recognised journalists: part of a team of key reporters responsible for uncovering the Watergate scandal, leading to the eventual investigation and resignation of President Richard Nixon. He has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes.

Both the  New York Times, and Time magazine have called the Woodward-Bernstein Watergate coverage, ‘the single greatest reporting effort of all time’ and ‘the most influential’. In his Masterclass Bob Woodward teaches INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM. Let’s take a look.

Investigative journalism course content

Let’s be clear, this is definitely NOT just a documentary film about the Watergate scandal. While Watergate and what happened is central to the course content (and certainly discussed in detail) it’s used as a platform to examine Mr Woodward’s principles and methodologies to teach you how to:-

• tap into a story
• hunt down documents
• find sources and build relationships
• conduct meaningful interviews that get to the facts
• develop theories and outlines
• uncover the truth
• write, edit and publish the story
• deal with sensitive information

The course follows a clear and logical structure with Mr Woodward speaking openly about his career as a whole. He illustrates his points and reinforces the learning materials by relating his experiences interviewing sources including US Presidents Nixon, Ford, Bush, Carter, and Obama. The course was filmed at the beginning of Mr Trump’s presidency so he speaks candidly about his initial interviews with him.

During the course Mr Woodward lets a group of students from his Yale journalism seminar interrogate and critique him about both the Trump and Obama interviews (full transcript of each interview may be downloaded from the resource section).

He also speaks candidly about the mistakes he has personally made during the course of his 40 year career. Mr Woodward uses those errors as a powerful instrument to emphasise (not just the importance) but the obligation that journalists have to uncover the truth by conducting appropriate research using accepted methodologies.

Who is this course for?

If you are thinking about a career in journalism, this is definitely the course for you — it will give you a good idea if journalism is a good fit. At the same time established journalists could certainly benefit from his career insights and candid discourse.

Bob Woodward has published 18 books, and 12 have topped the bestseller list — most recently ‘Fear‘ (about the Trump administration) which debuted last week as #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. So non-fiction writers have plenty to learn about research, gathering information and interviews.

Anyone wanting to get started as a freelance journalist could use this course as an entry point. By undertaking each of the assignments and then completing the course project — a 3,500–4,500 word investigative reporting project (examine a newsworthy event going on around you than write it up, edit it, and pitch it to a local news outlet) — you could really be on your way.

Finally, as a blogger I found the course extremely valuable. Mr Woodward stated in the opening that anyone can be a journalist, and in this digital age (in a sense) we all are.  We seek facts, reality, and truth, so bloggers could certainly benefit by learning more about how to conduct good research and present a great story.

IMPORTANT: this an online short course and not a four year Bachelor’s Degree, so it could never be a comprehensive guide to becoming a journalist. But it can certainly get you started as a freelancer. It’s designed to help you decide if you want to be one (and possibly inspire a new generation of journalists), or hone your skills if you already are one, or help you research and write better stories if you are a private blogger or author.

Overall Summary

Bob Woodward’s Masterclass is one of the best online courses I have ever completed. Mr Woodward shares his real-world experience and the methods that have made him one of the world’s most important journalists.  Mr Woodward is an excellent speaker and makes his points clearly, everything he says adds value to the course materials.

At the same time the Masterclass platform is robust and easy to navigate, plus  the materials are well presented and professionally made.  5/5 stars from me.

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© 2018 Melinda J. Irvine

“In this era, most people are skeptical, distrustful of the new media. Everyone is a journalist. You gather information, verify it and communicate it.”

Bob Woodward