This course is a comprehensive introduction to concepts and tools for Evidence-Based Journalism for Health.  It aims to develop and enhance the capacity of journalists and health communicators in producing and reporting accurate and timely information, in a language and format that people understand, with a solutions-based approach to journalism, to enable populations to make health-promoting decisions and to adopt positive behaviors that contribute to achieving public health goals, while combating misinformation, fear, and stigma. The course offers tools for communicators and journalists, particularly those covering or interested in health and science, to communicate evidence-based, clear, accurate, and timely content through news, human interest stories, editorials, interviews, reports, press releases, chronicles, and other formats, in multiple media while keeping a sense of ethics and values on their work.

The Evidence-Based Journalism for Health course is sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).  Like all NextGenU.org courses, it is competency-based; competencies were developed in collaboration with subject matter experts in journalism, climate change, mental health, substance abuse, and taking into consideration the following competencies set and programs "UNESCO Series on Journalism Education Model Curricula for Journalism Education", “Tartu Declaration of the European Journalism Training Association”, “Health and Medical Journalism; University of Georgia”, “Health Communication, BA/BS Grand Valley State University”, “Health Communication and Precision Journalism; Instituto de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Salud Gregorio Marañón”, “Medical Journalism Elective NYU Langone Health”, and  “Medical Journalism; Shiraz University of Medical Sciences”,

The course uses learning resources from accredited, world-class organizations such as WHO/PAHO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization. The course was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) working alongside Lothar M. Mikulla (Corporate Communications Officer, President’s Office) and Kemberley Gittens (Operations Officer (Social Analyst) at the Caribbean Development Bank). The course was developed in collaboration with PAHO. The PAHO team includes Dr. Luis Alfonzo B, (Substance Abuse Advisor);  Lisa Bayley (International PAHO Consultant); Dr. Claudina Cayetano (Mental Health Regional Advisor (NMH/MH));  Dr. Jonathan Drewry (Climate Change and Health Advisor); Dr. Elisa Prieto Lara (Caribbean Subregional NCD and Mental Health Advisor); Sebastian Oliel (WHO/PAHO Media and Communication Specialist); and Dr. Benjamin Puertas (Sub-, Human Resources Regional Advisor at Pan American Health Organization). The course was designed by and Pablo Baldiviezo, MD, DiplEd.; Carolina Bustillos, MD, DiplEd; Jamila Conliffe, MPH; Hugo Rojas, MD, MSc.

For publications on NextGenU.org’s courses’ efficacy, see “A Novel Integration of Online and Flipped Classroom Instructional Models in Public Health Higher Education,” (2014), BMC Medical Education, “Building Public Health Capacity through Online Global Learning,” (2018), Open Praxis, or on NextGenU.org’s publication page. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of future updates, new courses, and to be part of our community.

There are 4 modules to complete, which include:

1. Module 1: Introduction to Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and Solutions Journalism;
2. Module 2: Countering Misinformation and Stigma through the Media;
3. Module 3: Reporting Specific Health Topics;
4. Module 4: Self-care for journalists; 

The completion time for this course is estimated at 23 hours, comprising 6 hours of learning resources, 6 hours for time to study content and assimilation, and 11 hours of participating in learning activities and quizzes, to assist the learners in the synthesis of learning materials. 

The course requires completion of case studies and activity simulation. At the end of each module, there is a practice quiz of ten (10-20) multiple-choice questions. After you’ve completed each lesson, quiz, and learning activity, at the end of the course, you’ll have access to a final exam consisting of fifty (50) multiple-choice questions, and a chance to evaluate this course. Participants have up to three opportunities to take the final exam and achieve the required score of >=70%.

Once you’ve passed that last test, you will be able to download a certificate of completion from NextGenU.org and our course’s co-sponsoring organizations. We keep all of your personal information confidential, never sell any of your information, and only use anonymized data for research purposes. Also, we are happy to report your testing information and share your work with anyone (your school, employer, etc.) at your request.

Engaging with this Course:

You may browse this course for free to learn for your personal enrichment; there are no requirements. To register for this course, it is required that learners have obtained a college-level/bachelor's degree.  

To obtain a certificate, a learner must successfully complete:

• all the reading requirements,
• all quizzes and pass with an 80% with unlimited attempts,
• all case studies,
• activity simulation,
• the final exam with a minimum of 80% and a maximum of 3 attempts, and
• the self and course evaluation forms.

NextGenU.org is happy to provide your institution with

• a link to and description of the course training, so they can see all its components, including the cosponsoring universities and other professional organization cosponsors; 
• your grade on the final exam;
• your work products (e.g. case study activities), and any other required or optional shared materials that you produce and authorize to share with them;  
• your evaluations -- course, and self-assessments;
• a copy of your certificate of completion, with the co-sponsoring universities and other organizations listed.

To obtain a degree, NextGenU.org co-sponsors degree programs with institutional partners. To obtain a full degree co-sponsored with NextGenU.org, registrants must be enrolled in a degree program as a student of a NextGenU.org institutional partner. If you think that your institution might be interested in offering a degree with NextGenU.org contact us.

We hope that you will find this a rewarding learning experience, and we count on your assessment and feedback to help us improve this training for future students.

Here are the next steps to take the course for credit:

• Complete the registration form.
• Take the pre-test.
• Begin the course with Module 1. In each lesson, read the description, complete all required readings and any required activity, and take the corresponding quizzes.

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Evaluate the effects of solution journalism on individuals' and authorities' response to health-related issues.
• Gain understanding about how to transmit an accessible, actionable, credible, relevant, timely, and understandable health-related message that can influence populations to adopt healthy behaviors.
  
• Understand how inclusive and participatory Risk Communication and Community Engagement Plans can safeguard populations health.
  

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand how to evaluate health-related information and terminologies from scientific journals, academic conferences, private industries, and governmental sources.
• Examine the media's positive or negative impact on topics such as misinformation, fear, and stigma related to health issues in their region.

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand how to evaluate health-related information and terminologies from scientific journals, academic conferences, private industries, and governmental sources.
• Integrate specific recommendations to report about health topics such as mental health and psychosocial support, climate change and health, violence, and outbreaks on communication products.

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Assess common risks for reporters and communicators along with protection and self-care recommendations.

To take the final exam, you must complete all quizzes and complete all the required activities. The final exam consists of 50 questions, and you will have 50 minutes to complete it. When the time is over, you will have two minutes to submit your attempt before it expires, and your progress is discarded. You will not be able to answer additional questions in the grace period.

To access the exam, click on the name of the exam provided above. On the following screen, click the attempt quiz button to respond to the questions.

In this section, you can provide feedback about this course to help us make NextGenU.org better. Once evaluations are completed, you will be able to download your certificate of completion.