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Cronkite School offers e-publishing, social media training


July 02, 2013

Registration is now open for two day-long training programs at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication for people who want to learn how to self-publish e-books, as well as how to use social media in a strategic way.

The programs are part of the Cronkite New Media Academy, an on-going series of hands-on training opportunities for the general public, offered on the Downtown Phoenix campus of Arizona State University.

The first session will be held on Sept. 14 and will teach participants how to self-publish in e-book format using free and low-cost platforms, and then distribute their work in major e-bookstores.

“Recent developments and platforms have revolutionized the book publishing business the way the Internet democratized journalism years ago,” said Liz Smith, the school’s outreach director, who has experience in e-publishing and will co-teach the course along with Cronkite School instructional technologist Niclas Lindh. “The barriers are down. Now anyone can self-publish and distribute an e-book to the masses at virtually no cost. This seminar is timely for authors and business people eager to capitalize on this new capability to grow their audiences.” 

The second program will take place on Sept. 21 and will teach how social media can be used effectively for professional branding and promotion. The class will be taught by Robin J. Phillips, digital director at the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, who has taught social media as a tool for promotion, research and personal branding for businesses and organizations around the country.

"Social media can open up your world to new customers, new sources and new friends,” Phillips said. “But it also can become overwhelming. In order to be successful, it's important for individuals, organizations and businesses to set some goals, identify which social media tools make sense for you and track what works and what doesn't."

"Whether you are just beginning and asking yourself, 'Who should I follow?' or you've been using social tools for a while and are wondering, 'Am I wasting my time?' or 'How do I filter all the information out there?,' this session will help you regroup, learn some new tricks and make the most of your time on social media," she said. 

The Cronkite New Media Academy, established in 2009, is designed for people who want to understand and keep up with how communication is changing and participate in the new digital world of communications. It offers ongoing training and workshops throughout the year at the Cronkite School’s state-of-the-art building in downtown Phoenix.

All sessions are taught by trained Cronkite School professionals in small digital media labs, with an emphasis on practical, hands-on training. Class size is limited to 20.

Discounts are available for ASU faculty, staff, students, alumni and select professional groups. Full details on the upcoming workshops are available at: http://cronkite.asu.edu/newmedia/.