Prompt Engineering 101 for Journalists
Course Dates: April 14 - May 11, 2025
Instructors: Joe Amditis, associate director of operations, Center for Cooperative Media
About the course
Welcome to the Knight Center's new MOOC, "Prompt Engineering 101 for Journalists," organized
by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas.
During this four-week massive open online course, students will learn how to effectively use AI
language models and automation tools to enhance their journalistic work while maintaining ethical
standards and journalistic integrity.
The course will provide practical skills for working with AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT, teaching
you how to craft effective prompts that can assist with research, data analysis, and content
creation. You'll also learn how to automate workflows using no-code tools, creating efficient
systems that combine the power of AI with automated processes.
Goal
Over these four weeks, you will learn how to harness the power of AI language models and
automation tools to enhance your journalistic workflow. You'll develop a deep understanding of
prompt engineering principles, learn practical techniques for getting the most accurate and useful
responses from AI systems, and understand how to integrate these tools ethically and effectively
into your newsroom practices.
Additionally, you'll learn how to create automated workflows that can save time and reduce
repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on high-value journalistic work.
Who can enroll? (Who is this Course for?)
This course is designed for:
● Journalists and editors working in newsrooms
● Independent journalists and freelance writers
● News organization managers and digital editors
● Journalism educators and students
● Content creators focused on news and current events
● Media professionals interested in integrating AI tools into their workflow
No prior experience with AI, programming, or automation tools is required. However, basic digital
literacy and familiarity with online tools will be helpful.
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
● Understand the fundamentals of how large language models work and their capabilities
and limitations in a journalistic context
● Craft clear, effective prompts that generate accurate and useful responses for various
journalistic tasks
● Use advanced prompt engineering techniques like chain-of-thought prompting and system
prompting
● Apply ethical frameworks when using AI tools in journalism
● Implement AI assistance in various aspects of journalistic work while maintaining editorial
standards
● Create workflows that effectively combine human expertise with AI capabilities
● Build automated processes using no-code tools like Zapier and [Link]
Tools/Applications Required
● Access to at least one frontier AI language model (free options will be discussed in the
course)
● Updated web browser (Chromium-based is preferred)
● Online text editor (Google Docs is preferred)
● Online spreadsheet software (Google Sheets is preferred but Airtable is fine)
● Free account on Zapier or [Link] (for automation module)
How the course works
First of all, note that this is an asynchronous course. That means there are no live events scheduled
at specific times. You can log in to the course and complete activities throughout the week at your
own pace, at the times and on the days that are most convenient for you.
Despite its asynchronous nature, there are still structures in place for the duration of the course.
The material is organized into four weekly modules. Each module will be taught by Joe Amditis and
will cover a different topic through videos, presentations, readings, and discussion forums. There
will be a quiz each week to test the knowledge you've gained through the course materials. The
weekly quizzes and weekly participation in the discussion forums are the basic requirements for
earning a certificate of participation at the end of the course.
This course is very flexible, and if you are behind with the materials, you have the entire length of
the course to complete them. We do recommend you complete each of the following before the
end of each week so you don’t fall behind:
● Video lectures
● Readings and handouts/exercises
● Participation in the discussion forums
● Quizzes covering concepts from video lectures and/or readings
The course is divided into four weekly modules (Course outline)
Introduction Module - What are LLMs and why should I care?
This module introduces the basics of large language models and fundamental prompt engineering
concepts, creating a strong foundation for journalistic applications.
This module will cover:
● What LLMs are and where they came from
● How LLMs are different from previous “chatbots”
● What makes LLMs relevant to journalism
● The case(s) against using LLMs for journalism
Module 1 - Getting started with AI tools (April 14 - 18)
This module will provide you with a basic introduction to large language models and generative AI,
how they work, and why everyone is talking about them.
This module will cover:
● What AI language models can (and cannot) do
● The anatomy of a prompt: Key principles of clear prompts
● How to avoid common mistakes
● Basic hands-on exercises
Each concept will be explored in depth through practical exercises and real-world journalism
examples, allowing you to develop a strong foundation in these essential skills.
Module 2 - Building effective prompts for journalism (April 21 - 25)
This module focuses on mastering three fundamental prompting techniques that are especially
valuable for journalistic work.
This module will cover:
Structured reasoning prompts
● Understanding how to break down complex tasks into clear steps
● Using step-by-step prompts for fact-checking and verification
● Practical exercises with real journalistic examples
Context management
● How to provide effective context in your prompts
● Techniques for maintaining consistency across multiple prompts
● Hands-on practice with different types of source material
Template creation
● Building reusable prompt templates for common journalistic tasks
● Understanding when and how to modify templates
● Creating a personal library of tested prompts
Each concept will be explored in depth through practical exercises and real-world journalism
examples, allowing you to develop a strong foundation in these essential skills.
Module 3 - Introduction to no-code automation (April 28 - May 1)
This module provides a simple introduction to automating routine tasks using no-code tools,
helping you understand how to connect AI tools with your existing workflow.
This module will cover:
Understanding no-code automation:
● What is no-code automation?
● Introduction to basic automation concepts
● Overview of popular no-code tools like Zapier
● When to use (and when not to use) automation
Building your first automation:
● Creating a simple automated workflow
● Connecting different tools and services
● Testing and troubleshooting basic automations
● Real-world examples from newsrooms
Common journalistic use cases:
● Automating social media posts
● Setting up automated news alerts
● Creating simple documentation workflows
Module 4 - AI image generation and ethics (May 5 - 9)
This final module explores specialized AI tools and ethical considerations that are crucial for
modern journalism, with a particular focus on visual content creation and specialized tasks.
This module will cover:
AI image generation fundamentals:
● Introduction to AI image generation tools (DALL-E and Midjourney)
● Writing effective prompts for image generation
● Best practices for creating and editing images responsibly
● Visual accessibility and alt text generation
● Case studies in AI image use in journalism
Ethics and responsible AI practices:
● Developing basic newsroom AI guidelines
● Understanding copyright and attribution requirements
● Transparency and disclosure best practices
● Ensuring fairness and managing bias
● Practical examples of ethical AI use in newsrooms
Each topic includes hands-on exercises and real-world examples to help you implement these tools
and practices in your work.
The course emphasizes hands-on learning, with students building their own prompts and
automated workflows throughout the four weeks. By the end of the course, participants will have
created several working examples of both AI prompts and automated workflows that they can
implement in their newsrooms.