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Journalism Training

Updated: Fri, 1 Mar 2013

faqs

  • Can you help me get a visa?

    Applying for a visa is your responsibility, Thomson Reuters Foundation will provide you with a letter of support to help with your visa application and if necessary an official explanation of why you have been invited. If your local embassy has any extra requirements, we will always try to help. However, you must apply for your own visa locally, and if you are rejected, this is beyond our control. Unless otherwise advised, you will have to pay the costs of getting your own visa (including any travel costs involved in obtaining it). Please note that the offer of a place on a course depends on your ability to get a visa.

  • Do I need to speak fluent English?

    You need to be able to read and write in English well enough to follow the teaching, and submit your stories. But you do not have to have perfect English, as we are looking for your ability to gather information and structure a story, rather than having absolute fluency. Some of our courses are run in languages other than English, and this is clearly marked in each course description.

  • What about incidental expenses?

    Your accommodation costs are paid for by the Foundation. If you are receiving a bursary, some or all of your meal costs will also be covered. Details of what will be covered is explained in each course description. All other costs, such as mini-bar, phone-calls, laundry, room service etc are NOT met by the Foundation, and we do not provide funds for sightseeing and personal entertainment.

  • What does the Foundation pay for?

    If you meet our requirements for a bursary you will receive economy flights, accommodation, food allowance and UK transfers. Bursary and funding support varies for each course, and is explained in more detail in each specific course description.

  • What happens after I’ve been on a course?

    We hope you’ll stay in touch, and write blogs and stories for our website. Our alumni page will keep you in contact with people you met on the course, and we also have a Facebook page for you to post on. If you have attended a Thomson Reuters Foundation-funded course in London, you have to wait two years before you can apply again. You are free to apply at any time for courses in your country, or for courses funded by other agencies, and this is clearly marked in the description of each particular course. Certain courses have online learning modules for you to complete, and this is also marked in each course description on our website.

  • What if everyone else on the course is more advanced than me?

    You are with us to learn. The trainers use group and individual exercises to ensure EVERYONE succeeds. Courses assume a minimum level of knowledge, and build up step-by-step, with lots of reviews. If you put in the effort to learn, you will certainly improve and the trainers will give you action plans and techniques to meet your own goals.

  • What if I get sick?

    You are covered by our insurance policy for illness while you are on the course, but you must provide a certificate to prove you are in good health prior to attending the course.

  • What times are training courses held?

    Typically, training runs from 0930 to 1730. You will generally have evenings free to experience being in a different city with your fellow participants. There is sometimes evening work, but this is kept to a strict minimum. You will be expected to attend the course each day.

  • Will I be able to get a job at Reuters afterwards?

    While many TrustMedia trainers are Reuters journalists, the Thomson Reuters Foundation is NOT involved in hiring people for the Reuters bureaux. However, the skills you learn will mean you are well placed to apply for jobs which are advertised on the Reuters website or through domestic channels.