Course Overview
This course introduces students to a movement-centered approach to writing labour stories for publishing. We teach the values and perspectives of this approach, and the practical storytelling skills necessary to tell compelling workers’ stories.
This course requires no prior experience in labour journalism. It is ideal for someone wishing to learn the basic elements of writing labour stories.
Teaching: 6 Online Sessions, Once Every Two Weeks
Course Fee: USD$60 (Regular Price) / USD$40 (Students/Workers/Unemployed)
Class Size: Class Limited to 15 Students
Course Facilitator: Chie Matsumoto
Chie Matsumoto is a journalist at media cooperative Unfiltered and an adjunct media instructor in the Faculty of Law at Hosei University in Japan. Matsumoto was a correspondent for German Press Agency, dpa, and a reporter for the International Herald Tribune/The Asahi Shimbun. Her works appear in books, Gender Expression Guidebook (Shogakukan Publishing, 2022), State of Sexual Harassment in Media (Bungei Shunju Publishing, 2020) among others, and in translation of The Purpose of Power (co-translator, Akashi Publishing, 2021).
Class Project
As part of the course, the course facilitator will guide students in developing and writing a story. We will support the pitching and publishing of these stories.
Class Schedule
Session 1: What is labor journalism? (Sept 9, 2024)
What are the principles and values of labour journalism?
How is it different from mainstream journalism?
Session 2: What is the story? (Sept 23, 2024)
How to identify the issues and setting the angle of your story
What makes a compelling story that helps readers understand workers?
Session 3: Background research (Oct 7, 2024)
How to conduct background research?
What sources?
How much research is enough?
Session 4: Interview skills (Oct 21, 2024)
How can you win the trust of your interviewees?
How long is too long? how far can we dig into someone’s life?
Session 5: Structure your story (Nov 4, 2024)
How do you structure your story?
What, once again, is the story you are trying to tell?
Session 6: Pitching your story (Nov 18, 2024)
We will provide feedback to your draft
How to pitch your story to ALR, Unfiltered and other movement publications?