Mission:
To help journalists throughout the world grow in their craft.

Background:
Officially launched in April 2005, News University is a project of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, to provide interactive courses to journalists at all levels of experience, in print, broadcast, and online media. Many courses are self-directed and free to the user. "News U" offers group seminars, where participants meet in a virtual space, and a faculty member guides them through the material, moderates discussions, and provides individual feedback. It also broadcasts live e-seminars over the Web, which are archived for ongoing use. In developing e-learning modules, News U works with the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Association of Health Care Journalists, the American Copy Editors Society, and other groups.

Outstanding Web Features:
To access any e-learning course at News U, visitors register on the site's homepage and follow prompts to the course directory for course names, such as Beat Basics and Beyond, Freedom of Information, and Math for Journalists, among many others. Additional information includes the organization that created the course, whether it is self-directed, group, or live, and whether it is fee-based or free (at present, most are the latter). Topics include journalism leadership and management; reporting, writing, and editing; broadcast journalism; online journalism; visual journalism; and ethics. Some courses are best accessed with a high-speed or broadband connection, and many require the Flash player plug-in. The Web site also provides answers to frequently asked questions about News U, and links to other online learning resources for journalists.