Travel Journalism
with Ash Bhardwaj
Learn how to pitch, network, write, and promote your work like a travel journalist.
About This Course
Learn what it takes to be a successful travel journalist from award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Ash Bhardwaj. In this course, Ash condenses his years of experience writing, reporting, and producing content from around the world into a step-by-step process that outlines how to get started in the industry. From building up a portfolio to networking with industry professionals, to pitching editors and sharpening your writing and storytelling skills, Ash Bhardwaj shares how he successfully finds work as a freelance travel journalist, which includes his most effective pitching and writing techniques, along with his favorite resources to go for inspiration and further learning. If you’re ready to combine a passion for travel with a career in journalism, this course offers the lessons and resources to help you get started in the industry today.
What You'll Learn
An overview of the foundations of journalism
The importance of ethics and understanding bias in journalism
What a ‘travel journalist’ is
Where to start if you’re a freelancer without any background in journalism
How to build a portfolio
How to network
How to figure out which publications to pitch to
How to develop a pitch
What you should think about when you’re working on assignment
Key writing techniques to use when writing a travel feature
How to tell stories as a travel journalist
The realities of making money as a travel journalist
Watch Some Samples
We've pulled out a few clips to give you a better idea of what to expect in the course
Course Breakdown
Introduction
Welcome
Get an introduction to travel journalism with course host, Ash Bhardwaj, and get an overview of what you can expect to learn throughout this course!
Who Am I?
Ash shares how he got started in the travel journalism industry and how his unique experiences helped him to find success throughout his journey and get him to where he is today.
Foundations of Travel Journalism
Travel Journalism, Explained
Ash offers a breakdown of the different types of travel journalism articles, how to write a travel journalism piece, and how to find the story in your trip.
Nuts & Bolts of Travel Journalism
Review the core ethical responsibilities of a journalist and understand how to apply them to your travel writing.
The 7-Step Process
Learn Ash’s 7-step process to becoming a travel journalist, based on over a decade of experience working and teaching within the industry.
Mindset
Attitude is everything! Ash discusses how to stay positive and remember that rejection is just a part of the process.
Preparations
Idea Generation
Learn Ash’s approach to coming up with story ideas by finding the right angle, or hook, and understanding what your audience wants.
Researching & Planning Your Trip
Get ideas for how you can start to build your understanding of a destination and the different types of people who could help you in your mission to tell a story about a particular place.
Developing a Story
Start to build out your story idea so that you understand how it will help the reader and how the piece might develop, with prompts from Ash.
Pitching
Get a complete guide to pitching to publications, from finding the right publication for your piece, to what to include in its pitch. Then, follow along as Ash writes a pitch for his current story.
On Assignment
Itinerary
Going on assignment isn’t the same as taking a holiday. Learn how to prepare for the trip and what you need to think about when on the ground in a destination.
Photography & Videography
Developing skills in photography and videography can really benefit your career in travel journalism. Get an overview of the gear Ash carries in his backpack, from his favorite cameras to his trusty audio recorder.
Interviewing
Learn why interviews can be important additions to the research and writing of your travel article and get some top tips on how to have a great interview.
Comfort Zone
Getting out of your comfort zone is a huge opportunity to become a better travel writer and Ash shares some advice on how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Writing Up & Promotion
Writing Basics, Part 1: Structure
Understand how to develop the structure of your article in order to write a compelling story with a solid intro, body, and outro.
Writing Basics, Part 2: Style
Discover how to develop your own writing style by learning techniques that other people have used, understanding the travel article style, and reading theory in concept books.
Writing Basics, Part 3: The Writing Process
Learn the technique Ash uses to help make his writing process much easier.
Promoting Your Work
Once you’ve submitted an article, the work’s not over, yet! Ash offers some tips on how to effectively promote your piece.
Making Money
Ash breaks down the realities of earning money as a travel journalist and how to make the most of each trip you take.
Conclusion
Goodbye
Meet Your Instructor
Ash Bhardwaj
Ash Bhardwaj is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and film-maker. He writes for publications including The Telegraph, Times, and Condé Nast; reports for BBC Radio Four and BBC World Service; presents documentaries for Discovery Channel; is the founder of Digital Dandy; and co-host of The First Mile travel podcast. In this course, Ash will use his own experience to talk about: building skills and a portfolio; career planning and networking; finding and occupying a niche; thinking like a freelancer; and the importance and techniques of storytelling.
Travel Journalism
with Ash Bhardwaj