The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism has launched an online curriculum for working reporters and journalism students to enable them to quickly improve their knowledge of fiscal issues and their ability to report on them with accuracy and insight.

The course, produced by the school’s Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program, is free and takes six to eight hours to complete. You can sign up here.

The course builds knowledge and competence across four chapters — beginning with budgets and continuing through bonds, pensions, and sources. Each of these essential chapters is supplemented by quizzes, reporting trip suggestions, and interactive elements.

In recognition of their efforts, each person completing the course successfully will be awarded a Certified Badge of Completion that can be featured in LinkedIn profiles, résumés or other appropriate venues via the Credly award validation and distribution system.

The curriculum extends the work of the Ravitch Program, which for the past few years has offered a successful series of one-week seminars at the CUNY J-School on fiscal issues for reporters covering state and local governments.

This online version, overseen by program director Greg David, will make the knowledge and skills taught in the program accessible to working journalists whose beats don’t primarily involve government and who are unable to attend the face-to-face seminars and events in New York City.

The program is funded by a grant from the Arnold Foundation and will be updated yearly.

“We are so happy to able to work with the Arnold Foundation to bring fiscal reporting knowledge and skills to the widest professional and student population possible via this innovative web-based program,” CUNY J-School Dean Sarah Bartlett said.

For additional information and questions please contact:

Greg David

Director of the Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program

CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

greg.david@journalism.cuny.edu

Simon Heathcote

Executive Director of Communication and Marketing

CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

simon.heathcote@journalism.cuny.edu