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    Media Courses Online

    Learn about media principles for effective communication and journalism. Understand media production, media ethics, and the impact of media on society.

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    Explore the Media Course Catalog

    • U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Social Media Advertising

      Skills you'll gain: Social Media, Online Advertising, Digital Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Advertising, Advertising Campaigns, Web Analytics, Content Performance Analysis, Facebook, Paid media, Instagram, Marketing Communications, Target Audience, Business Ethics, Brand Awareness, Customer Engagement

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      319 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      U

      Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

      The Olympic Games and the Media

      Skills you'll gain: Media and Communications, Video Production, Culture, Media Production, Journalism, Intellectual Property, Brand Management, Liberal Arts, Storytelling, Digital Communications, Facebook

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      166 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      C

      Coursera Project Network

      Using Video in Social Media Posts with Canva

      Skills you'll gain: Canva (Software), Photo/Video Production and Technology, Video Production, Content Creation, User Accounts

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      187 reviews

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • T

      The Museum of Modern Art

      Art & Activity: Interactive Strategies for Engaging with Art

      Skills you'll gain: Design Thinking, Creative Thinking, Learning Styles, Creativity, Learning Strategies, Empathy, Collaboration, Constructive Feedback

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.3K reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • C

      Coursera Project Network

      Use Canva to Create Social Media Marketing Designs

      Skills you'll gain: Canva (Software), Social Media Content, Social Media Marketing, Social Media, Marketing Design, Graphic Design, Branding

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.5K reviews

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • Status: Free
      Free
      U

      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

      Multimodal Literacies: Communication and Learning in the Era of Digital Media

      Skills you'll gain: Differentiated Instruction, Teaching, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Pedagogy, Oral Expression, Education Software and Technology, Learning Strategies, Human Learning, Media and Communications, Multimedia, Cultural Diversity, Digital Communications, Writing, Non-Verbal Communication

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      165 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      C

      Coursera Project Network

      Building Digital Media using Graphic Design in PowerPoint

      Skills you'll gain: Animations, Graphic Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Digital Design, Content Creation, Multimedia, Photo/Video Production and Technology, Infographics, Video Production, Media Production, Data Import/Export, Data Sharing

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      69 reviews

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • Status: Free
      Free
      Y

      Yale University

      Digital Media for Health Outcomes, English

      Skills you'll gain: Media and Communications, Advertising Campaigns, Program Evaluation, Surveys, Behavioral Health, Digital Communications, Persuasive Communication, Public Health, Behavioral Economics, Instagram, Survey Creation, Facebook, Research, Experimentation, Data Collection

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      44 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • M

      Michigan State University

      What is news?

      Skills you'll gain: Journalism, Media and Communications, Electronic Media, Content Creation, Storytelling, Multimedia, Blogs, Photo/Video Production and Technology, Photography, Writing, Report Writing, Ethical Standards And Conduct

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.2K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Graphic Design

      Skills you'll gain: Graphic Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Design, Visual Design, Typography, Adobe InDesign, Design Reviews, Adobe Photoshop, Design Elements And Principles, Peer Review, Color Theory, Editing, Creativity

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.3K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • D

      Digital Marketing Institute

      Social Media and Social Content Strategy

      Skills you'll gain: Social Media Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Strategy, Social Media Management, Social Media Campaigns, Instagram, Content Performance Analysis, Facebook, Digital Marketing, Paid media, Content Strategy, Content Creation, Customer Engagement, Target Audience

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      88 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • M

      Meta

      GenAI in Social Media Marketing

      Skills you'll gain: Target Audience, Generative AI, Social Media Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Strategy, Business Marketing, Facebook, Content Creation, Artificial Intelligence

      5
      Rating, 5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      22 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

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    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular media courses

    • Social Media Advertising: University of Colorado Boulder
    • The Olympic Games and the Media: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
    • Using Video in Social Media Posts with Canva: Coursera Project Network
    • Art & Activity: Interactive Strategies for Engaging with Art: The Museum of Modern Art
    • Use Canva to Create Social Media Marketing Designs: Coursera Project Network
    • Multimodal Literacies: Communication and Learning in the Era of Digital Media : University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    • Building Digital Media using Graphic Design in PowerPoint: Coursera Project Network
    • Digital Media for Health Outcomes, English: Yale University
    • What is news? : Michigan State University
    • Graphic Design: University of Colorado Boulder

    Frequently Asked Questions about Media

    Media is the plural of medium, which is defined as a means through which things are communicated or expressed. In the broadest sense of the term, forms of media include writing, music, broadcast television, graphic design, and more.

    In the modern era, “the media” has come to refer more specifically to mass communication, and especially the coverage of current events in the news media. The media in this sense is an essential institution, serving as a check on politicians and other powerful interests, a means of keeping the public informed, and a guide to navigating our fast-changing world. It is also a powerful institution, and journalism has a code of ethics covering aspects of their work including sourcing, fact-checking, and fairness in order to ensure that this power is used in the public interest.

    The 21st century has also seen the rise of social media, which is the spread of information through social networks and websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google. These internet giants have made it possible for individuals to share news with each other and the world, eliminating the need for the media establishment to serve as an intermediary. While this development has enabled important new voices and opinions to reach the broader public, the absence of traditional ethical safeguards has also led to concerns about the rapid dissemination of misinformation, propaganda, and conspiracy theories through social media.‎

    Understanding how today’s interconnected media world works is essential for any career in communications. Whether you’re a digital marketing manager creating engaging multimedia content and tracking its performance across various social networks or a public relations professional responsible for shaping the narrative of a business or public figure, you need to be able to leverage all media channels to get your message out into the world effectively.

    With all the changes wrought by new forms of mass media and social media, the work of journalists, reporters, and news analysts is more important than ever. These correspondents for newspapers, television and radio stations, and internet outlets serve a vital purpose in helping the public make sense of the barrage of information in today’s media-saturated environment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts earned a median annual salary of $46,270 in 2019, and typically have a bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications.‎

    Yes! Whether you aspire to work in the traditional mass media or build your expertise in digital media for a career in marketing or communications, Coursera offers courses and Specializations spanning multiple courses to meet your needs. You can get a truly global perspective on today’s media landscape by learning remotely from top-ranked universities from around the world such as University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Michigan State University, University of Amsterdam, and University of New South Wales Sydney, all at a lower tuition cost than on-campus students.‎

    The skills and experience you need to already have before starting to learn media is likely to be a mix of good oral and written communication skills, a pleasing personality, and technical acumen to manage the requirements of audio, video, and written communications. In years past, a four-year journalism degree and a background working in small U.S. markets may have been the experience you needed to learn about media. But in today’s online world, learning media is as easy as flipping over to YouTube or clicking on Twitter. If you have skills and experience doing your own podcasts, videos, and article writing, you are already learning how media work. Preparing to learn about media may include staying in touch with what’s trending on social media, reading online news sites, and experimenting on your own with a podcast, video, or blog that you create.‎

    The kind of people best suited for roles in media may be driven, articulate people who have confidence and ambition, coupled with a pleasing look and a gentle warmth. But others may come to a role in media with a chip on their shoulder, a fire in their belly, and a point of view to share. As the role of media has grown to be an always-on activity, the kind of person who is best suited for a role in media is often someone who is highly charged and passionate about the state of our city and country from a news perspective. They might follow their dream to work in media, with a passion for the topics they cover. Many media jobs are in America’s big cities, but there are also roles for people in mid-size and small town markets as well.‎

    Learning media might be right for you if you are the kind of person who loves news, who loves being at the epicenter of what’s happening in business, technology, politics, culture, and sports. Maybe you wrote for your high school or college website or blog, and love getting inside of a story that’s worth telling. Or you are always on YouTube, creating new videos where you share your opinion on current events, politics, music, or sports. If you have that passion and fire, then learning media might be a great fit.‎

    The types of places that hire people with a background in media are usually media outlets in the form of newspapers and magazines, news websites, or business industry sites. Many younger media enthusiasts might find a role at a tech news website, work there for a while and graduate up to a larger site or over to the major media on cable TV or Web TV. When you gain a background and experience in media, you are better equipped to work with people, as you have become skilled to become a good communicator, smart thinker, and accessible person.‎

    Online Media courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Media skills. Choose from a wide range of Media courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.‎

    When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Media, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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