Short courses
Practical, expert-led training you can take in a day.
Industry-leading short course training in journalism, PR and communications, content creation, and digital storytelling.
Welcome to Press Association Academy, a leading training centre for journalism, communications, and content professionals. We are the sister company to Press Association, the national news agency for the UK and Ireland.
At Press Association Academy, we teach what we know best: news and news-based communications, writing and editing, content creation and digital storytelling across multiple platforms. In an age of AI, these skills have never mattered more.
Our courses will equip you with the sector-relevant knowledge you need to succeed, whether you're early in your career, already making strides in the media, or ready to take your next step.
Press Association Academy's interactive training will encourage you to develop by putting theory into practice – building on your own skills and knowledge while learning from highly-skilled practitioners at the cutting edge of the business.
We have trained generations of journalists, as well as PR and communications professionals and content makers from companies and organisations across the public, private and third sectors. Take a look at our testimonials to see why participants trust and return to Press Association Academy to update their skills – and those of their teams.
One of the many things that sets our programmes apart is our commitment to continuous professional development (CPD), as our courses are accredited by the CPD Certification Service. This accreditation not only validates the quality and relevance of our content but also underlines our dedication to providing learners with recognised qualifications that can significantly boost their careers.
Our courses are available as bespoke training for teams, and we also run courses for individuals.
More about our training
- NCTJ Diploma
- Apprenticeships
- Media Training
Courses
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Social Media Masterclass: From Boomers to Gen Alpha
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How to Write Perfect Press Releases: Masterclass
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News Writing: Write Stories with Impact
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Features Masterclass: Write with Flair and Focus
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Editorial Planning for Digital Teams: Masterclass
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How to Make a Podcast
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Media Law Essentials
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Digital Verification/Open-Source Investigation (OSINT)
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Introduction to AI: tools and prompting workshop
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Digital skills and content
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Why train with Press Association Academy?
- Newsroom connected with national and international reach
- More than 50 years' experience training journalists and PRs
- All courses are expert-led by working media professionals
- Trainers have a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives
- Small class sizes allow for practical, interactive exercises
Our trainers
Meet some of the Press Association Academy trainers who lead our short courses.
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Photo: Press Association Academy
Steve Jones
Head of Professional Training
Steve joined Press Association Academy in 2025, bringing a wealth of journalistic, data analytics, and commercial experience. As well as designing and commissioning up-to-the minute professional training courses for media and non-media clients, he is our lead trainer in digital verification and open source investigation techniques to combat misinformation and disinformation. Prior to joining the Academy, Steve spent more than 17 years in digital journalism and leadership roles at MSN, ITV, and Press Association. He was previously PA's first Head of Analytics and has also been Head of Social Media and Data Journalism at PA, leading a team responsible for online newsgathering and verification of user-generated content.
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Photo: Press Association Academy
Rosie Bartlett
Digital Journalism Trainer
Rosie Bartlett is a podcast training professional who has produced and recorded podcast series for the BBC, RIBA and various international clients. Rosie produced a series on making podcasts called podcastology for the BBC and leads on podcast training for the BBC. More recently, she is working on a series of news podcasts for Protv in Moldova, helping the team convert a successful TV show to podcast output for YouTube. Rosie has over 20 years of digital journalism experience, working with the BBC World Service digital teams and Radio 4 broadcast. She also managed international journalism training for the BBC.
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Photo: Press Association Academy
Claire Spreadbury
Trainer
Claire Spreadbury is Head of Features at Press Association. She has over 20 years' experience as a journalist and editor, is an 'all-round' expert, though writes most frequently across travel, wellbeing, beauty and parenting. She has pitched for features, projects and redesigns and has overseen a huge number of successful projects, both online and in print, for a range of customers, including Reach, the Evening Standard, JPI Media and Time Inc.
What a great session we had on Communicating with Impact. Bridgid shared practical techniques to enhance and develop our communications skills so we can present and speak publicly or to senior stakeholders with confidence and impact. I speak for my whole team in highly recommending Bridgid Nzekwu if you are after effective and fun communication training.
PA Media Training were efficient, well organised and genuinely lovely people to deal with and, importantly for us, able to provide flexibility around our needs to create the bespoke training we required. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for further training or to recommend them to other organisations.
The team is flexible, slick, well-resourced and overall simply first class. Their expertise and knowledge have been invaluable. I was delighted with our choice, so I’d have no hesitation in recommending them
The small class sizes nurture a comfortable environment where everyone supports and learns from each other. The staff helped me hone in on my writing skills and develop the confidence to feel comfortable on camera.
Find out more
Talk to the Press Association Academy team about dates, fees and bespoke training options.
Ask a question
Have a question about our short courses? Send us a message and we will get back to you.