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Media Courses Online

Learn about media principles for effective communication and journalism. Understand media production, media ethics, and the impact of media on society.

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Explore the Media Course Catalog

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    A

    Adobe

    Social Media Content and Strategy

    Skills you'll gain: Social Media Content, Social Media, Content Creation, Social Media Strategy, Social Media Marketing, Content Performance Analysis, Social Media Management, Social Media Campaigns, Target Audience, Adobe Creative Cloud, Drive Engagement, Customer Engagement, Content Strategy, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Regulation and Legal Compliance, Multimedia, Scheduling, Video Production, Copywriting, Branding

    4.8
    Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
    ·
    222 reviews

    Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    Status: AI skills
    AI skills
    M

    Meta

    Meta Social Media Marketing

    Skills you'll gain: Paid media, Social Media Management, Social Media Marketing, Social Media, Marketing Analytics, Target Audience, Content Creation, Smart Goals, Social Media Strategy, Social Media Campaigns, Instagram, Advertising Campaigns, Marketing Effectiveness, Advertising, Marketing, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Marketing Budgets, Presentations, Digital Marketing, Brand Management

    Build toward a degree

    4.8
    Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
    ·
    22K reviews

    Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    M

    Meta

    Social Media Management

    Skills you'll gain: Social Media Management, Content Creation, Instagram, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Facebook, Generative AI Agents, Content Marketing, Content Performance Analysis, Branding, Content Management, Customer Engagement

    4.8
    Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
    ·
    5.8K reviews

    Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

  • Status: Preview
    Preview
    U

    University of Amsterdam

    Media ethics & governance

    Skills you'll gain: Ethical Standards And Conduct, Media and Communications, Business Ethics, Research, Governance, Journalism, Data Ethics, Advertising, Case Studies

    4.8
    Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
    ·
    577 reviews

    Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    N

    Northwestern University

    Social Media Marketing

    Skills you'll gain: Marketing Budgets, Blogs, Social Media Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications, Social Media, Peer Review, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Social Media Strategy, Real Time Data, Marketing Effectiveness, Content Marketing, Strategic Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Social Media Content, Marketing, Target Audience, Digital Transformation, Analytics, Digital Marketing, ChatGPT

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    5.5K reviews

    Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

  • C

    Coursera Project Network

    Use Canva to Create Social Media Visuals for Business

    Skills you'll gain: Social Media Content, Social Media, Facebook, Content Creation, Marketing Materials, Social Media Marketing, Instagram, Data Visualization, Graphic Design, Digital Publishing, Brand Management, Digital Marketing

    4.5
    Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
    ·
    1.4K reviews

    Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

What brings you to Coursera today?

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    Status: AI skills
    AI skills
    G

    Google

    Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce

    Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Media Planning, Social Media Marketing, Google Ads, Email Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Order Fulfillment, Social Media Management, Search Engine Optimization, Performance Measurement, Spreadsheet Software, A/B Testing, Digital Marketing, E-Commerce, Campaign Management, Loyalty Programs, Customer Retention, Marketing, Interviewing Skills, Professional Development

    Build toward a degree

    4.8
    Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
    ·
    44K reviews

    Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • U

    University of California, Davis

    The Strategy of Content Marketing

    Skills you'll gain: Content Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, Copywriting, Writing, Professional Networking

    4.5
    Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
    ·
    5.3K reviews

    Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

  • Status: Preview
    Preview
    U

    University of Pennsylvania

    English for Media Literacy

    Skills you'll gain: Advertising, English Language, Media and Communications, Online Advertising, Oral Comprehension, Vocabulary, Literacy, Cultural Diversity, Journalism, Grammar, Facebook

    4.9
    Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
    ·
    2.1K reviews

    Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    Status: AI skills
    AI skills
    A

    Adobe

    Adobe Content Creator

    Skills you'll gain: Content Creation, Typography, Responsible AI, Logo Design, Digital Design, Generative AI, Social Media, Graphic Design, Social Media Management, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Social Media Campaigns, Creative Design, Adobe Photoshop, Visual Design, Content Marketing, Infographics, Content Strategy, Storytelling, Color Theory, Branding

    4.7
    Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
    ·
    1.6K reviews

    Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    J

    Johns Hopkins University

    Social Media Analytics

    Skills you'll gain: Social Network Analysis, Network Analysis, Data Visualization, Graph Theory, Relational Databases, Data Visualization Software, Data Storytelling, Data Analysis, Database Theory, Exploratory Data Analysis, Social Sciences, Statistical Analysis, Machine Learning, R Programming, Analytics, Sociology, Natural Language Processing, Data Manipulation, Text Mining, Statistical Modeling

    4.2
    Rating, 4.2 out of 5 stars
    ·
    13 reviews

    Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

  • C

    Coursera Project Network

    Build a social media presence for your business using Canva

    Skills you'll gain: Target Audience, Content Creation, Social Media Content, Social Media, Content Strategy, Marketing Materials, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Graphic Design, Marketing Design, Branding

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    76 reviews

    Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

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In summary, here are 10 of our most popular media courses

  • Social Media Content and Strategy: Adobe
  • Meta Social Media Marketing: Meta
  • Social Media Management : Meta
  • Media ethics & governance: University of Amsterdam
  • Social Media Marketing: Northwestern University
  • Use Canva to Create Social Media Visuals for Business: Coursera Project Network
  • Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce: Google
  • The Strategy of Content Marketing: University of California, Davis
  • English for Media Literacy: University of Pennsylvania
  • Adobe Content Creator: Adobe

Frequently Asked Questions about Media

Media is the plural of medium, which is defined as a means through which things are communicated or expressed. In the broadest sense of the term, forms of media include writing, music, broadcast television, graphic design, and more.

In the modern era, “the media” has come to refer more specifically to mass communication, and especially the coverage of current events in the news media. The media in this sense is an essential institution, serving as a check on politicians and other powerful interests, a means of keeping the public informed, and a guide to navigating our fast-changing world. It is also a powerful institution, and journalism has a code of ethics covering aspects of their work including sourcing, fact-checking, and fairness in order to ensure that this power is used in the public interest.

The 21st century has also seen the rise of social media, which is the spread of information through social networks and websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google. These internet giants have made it possible for individuals to share news with each other and the world, eliminating the need for the media establishment to serve as an intermediary. While this development has enabled important new voices and opinions to reach the broader public, the absence of traditional ethical safeguards has also led to concerns about the rapid dissemination of misinformation, propaganda, and conspiracy theories through social media.‎

Understanding how today’s interconnected media world works is essential for any career in communications. Whether you’re a digital marketing manager creating engaging multimedia content and tracking its performance across various social networks or a public relations professional responsible for shaping the narrative of a business or public figure, you need to be able to leverage all media channels to get your message out into the world effectively.

With all the changes wrought by new forms of mass media and social media, the work of journalists, reporters, and news analysts is more important than ever. These correspondents for newspapers, television and radio stations, and internet outlets serve a vital purpose in helping the public make sense of the barrage of information in today’s media-saturated environment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts earned a median annual salary of $46,270 in 2019, and typically have a bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications.‎

Yes! Whether you aspire to work in the traditional mass media or build your expertise in digital media for a career in marketing or communications, Coursera offers courses and Specializations spanning multiple courses to meet your needs. You can get a truly global perspective on today’s media landscape by learning remotely from top-ranked universities from around the world such as University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Michigan State University, University of Amsterdam, and University of New South Wales Sydney, all at a lower tuition cost than on-campus students.‎

The skills and experience you need to already have before starting to learn media is likely to be a mix of good oral and written communication skills, a pleasing personality, and technical acumen to manage the requirements of audio, video, and written communications. In years past, a four-year journalism degree and a background working in small U.S. markets may have been the experience you needed to learn about media. But in today’s online world, learning media is as easy as flipping over to YouTube or clicking on Twitter. If you have skills and experience doing your own podcasts, videos, and article writing, you are already learning how media work. Preparing to learn about media may include staying in touch with what’s trending on social media, reading online news sites, and experimenting on your own with a podcast, video, or blog that you create.‎

The kind of people best suited for roles in media may be driven, articulate people who have confidence and ambition, coupled with a pleasing look and a gentle warmth. But others may come to a role in media with a chip on their shoulder, a fire in their belly, and a point of view to share. As the role of media has grown to be an always-on activity, the kind of person who is best suited for a role in media is often someone who is highly charged and passionate about the state of our city and country from a news perspective. They might follow their dream to work in media, with a passion for the topics they cover. Many media jobs are in America’s big cities, but there are also roles for people in mid-size and small town markets as well.‎

Learning media might be right for you if you are the kind of person who loves news, who loves being at the epicenter of what’s happening in business, technology, politics, culture, and sports. Maybe you wrote for your high school or college website or blog, and love getting inside of a story that’s worth telling. Or you are always on YouTube, creating new videos where you share your opinion on current events, politics, music, or sports. If you have that passion and fire, then learning media might be a great fit.‎

The types of places that hire people with a background in media are usually media outlets in the form of newspapers and magazines, news websites, or business industry sites. Many younger media enthusiasts might find a role at a tech news website, work there for a while and graduate up to a larger site or over to the major media on cable TV or Web TV. When you gain a background and experience in media, you are better equipped to work with people, as you have become skilled to become a good communicator, smart thinker, and accessible person.‎

Online Media courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Media skills. Choose from a wide range of Media courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.‎

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Media, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here.‎

This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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