CNN Academy Fellow | John Garang

About CNN Academy

CNN Academy equips the next generation of journalists with real-world skills through immersive, newsroom-style learning. Drawing on CNN's legacy, it brings newsroom expertise into classroomsâ€”from Dublin to Kuala Lumpurâ€”connecting students with top CNN correspondents and transforming storytelling into action.

Their offerings include everything from the Academy Hub (self-paced e-learning on journalism fundamentals, ethics, and AI), to simulation training, co-branded master's programs, and workshops rooted in multimedia reporting and climate storytelling from the Global South. With programming ranging from hands-on simulations to global bootcamps and masterclasses, including climate-focused storytelling backed by the Rockefeller Foundation, CNN Academy gives aspiring journalists the tools to navigate and shape today's complex media landscape.

Fellowship Experience

As a CNN Academy Global South Fellow, I spent months immersed in an intensive program designed to sharpen both my technical and editorial skills. The fellowship was a unique blend of online courses, expert-led masterclasses, and peer-to-peer collaboration, all focused on harnessing storytelling to address climate change from a Global South perspective.

I learned directly from seasoned CNN journalists and industry experts, covering areas such as climate science basics, investigative techniques, multimedia production, and the ethics of climate reporting. The program also challenged us to think critically about representation, ensuring that stories from our regions are told with accuracy, dignity, and urgency.

Learning Modules & Skills Development

Throughout the fellowship, I completed comprehensive modules that built upon each other, giving me the skills to not only capture powerful narratives but also frame them in ways that influence public opinion and policy.

Ethics in Journalism

Fundamental principles of ethical reporting and media responsibility

The Art of Storytelling

Crafting compelling narratives that engage and inform audiences

When the News Breaks

Real-time reporting techniques for breaking news situations

Reporting from the Field

On-location journalism skills and field reporting techniques

Digital Storytelling

Creating multimedia content for digital platforms

Writing for Digital

Optimizing content for online audiences and platforms

Social Storytelling

Leveraging social media for impactful journalism

Writing News for Live Television

Broadcast writing techniques for television news

Script Writing

Professional scriptwriting for various media formats

Open Source Reporting

Utilizing open source intelligence for investigative journalism

Artificial Intelligence & Journalism

Integrating AI tools and techniques in modern journalism

Collaborative Learning & Global Network

Peer Collaboration

Collaborative workshops where fellows from across the Global South critiqued and refined each other's work, broadening perspectives and building connections.

Story Pitching

Sessions on pitching climate stories to international media, learning how to frame narratives for global audiences.

Global Network

Connected to a global network of storytellers equally committed to driving environmental change through journalism.

"The program challenged us to think critically about representation, ensuring that stories from our regions are told with accuracy, dignity, and urgency."

Now, as we approach the program's grand finale in Abu Dhabi this November, I am eager to bring my learning full circle. The final gathering will be an opportunity to showcase our projects, engage in high-level discussions with climate experts and media leaders, and strengthen the professional bonds we have built over the course of the fellowship.