For newsrooms, access to easy-to-use and reliable tools is vital under deadline pressure. That’s why we at Microsoft created a set of resources and live training opportunities to help journalists across the world unlock the power of Microsoft 365.
The Microsoft 365 for Journalists program is geared to helping reporters and newsrooms with tips and tricks on Microsoft 365 technology for the unique demands of your work. Over the past year, we’ve conducted live training with hundreds of journalists, and reached thousands more through our videos and web presence.
Our self-guided hub for teamwork, Microsoft Teams, and AI-infused Office apps feature technology experiences to help organizations and individuals do business in smarter and more productive ways. Be it for reporting, editing, production or design, Microsoft 365 allows for creating and collaborating from anywhere.
The Microsoft 365 for Journalists training portal includes a video library that covers basic topics for reporters, like:
- Conducting an interview in Microsoft Teams
- Accessing call and meeting transcripts using Microsoft Stream
- Creating an easy to access reporter’s notebook in OneNote
The program also offers live training content tailored to meet the needs of a particular organization. Typical sessions last about 45 minutes, conducted through Microsoft Teams for easy remote access. We make recordings available so that newsrooms can share with those unable to participate in that session or for learners who want a second look.
As for scheduling, we know there is not a one-size-fits-all. We’ve done single classes for some news organizations. For others, we’ve put together multi-week programs to go deeper on select topics. We’ve even conducted the same training session multiple times throughout the day or week so that journalists based around the world can tune in at a time that works best for them.
If your newsroom is set up with applications like Microsoft Teams, Word, OneNote, OneDrive or other tools from the Microsoft 365 suite, but may not be using them to the fullest extent, we want to hear from you.
If you’re not ready yet to schedule a live training, check out our Microsoft 365 for Journalists website for Tips and Tricks training videos:
Or data journalism resources like this playbook: https://news.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2019/05/DataJournalismPlaybookV11.pdf
Or resources that give you a high-level overview of the tools, like this:
The important things to note:
- Most newsrooms we work with already use Microsoft 365 in some capacity. The training is just that — training, not sales.
- We’re not pitching you a story. We are here to help you get your work done, whether you cover tech, features, fashion, lifestyle, sports, or breaking news.
- A tool should help accomplish your goals, not distract you during your workday. That’s our goal, to familiarize you with the suite of tools you already have and get your work done.
Our training team believes an hour of training can save you more than 10 hours of work over the next year, at a bare minimum. That’s a pretty good ROI. What will you do with all your extra time?
If your organization does not yet have the Microsoft 365 suite of products, we’re happy to make the introductions so you can have those conversations, too.
Use the tools you have. Tell your stories. Let us know how we can help. Reach out to us at [email protected].
