Master the fundamentals of digital journalism — from story structure and active writing to SEO, press releases, fact-checking and AI tools.

Learn how to craft compelling story pitches that capture editors\

Write headlines that work for both human readers and search engines. Master the art of SEO-optimised headlines.

Optimise your journalism for Google — topic authority, linking strategy, meta descriptions and mobile-first writing.

Everything you need for broadcast and multimedia journalism — radio writing, podcasting, interviews, field reporting, on-air delivery and PTC scriptwriting.

Master social media for journalism — repurpose content across platforms, understand algorithms, track analytics and write engaging captions.

Design fundamentals for journalists — tone, ethical imagery, mobile-first layouts, branding principles, creating for different formats, and accessibility.

Unlock the power of generative AI in journalism. This practical training equips journalists, editors, and content teams with the skills to effectively use Gemini AI in their daily workflows — from headlines and summaries to research, fact-checking, and ethical AI use.

Use Google

Master Google Pinpoint for investigative journalism — search thousands of documents, audio, and images at scale. Pinpoint uses machine learning to automatically identify and label people, organisations, and locations across large document collections.

A comprehensive refresher on the core principles and practices of quality journalism. Covers clear and accurate writing, ethical decision-making, effective sourcing, and fact verification. Participants will enhance their storytelling techniques for diverse platforms while adapting to the rapidly changing media landscape.

An introduction to the Independent Media Group — our history, values, mission, and the role we play in South Africa's media landscape. Essential onboarding for all new team members.

Learn about Volt Africa — our digital media brand, its audiences, offerings, and how it fits into the broader Independent Media ecosystem. Essential for all client-facing and commercial teams.

Understand the evolving digital media landscape in South Africa and globally. How audiences consume digital content, where advertising spend is shifting, and what it means for Independent Media's commercial strategy.

A deep dive into the social media landscape as it relates to Independent Media's commercial offerings. Covers key platforms, audience behaviour, content formats, and how to position social media as part of a client's media mix.

Explore the full suite of Independent Media's digital platforms and products. Learn how to package digital offerings for clients, understand audience data, and build compelling digital proposals that drive results.

Understand Independent Media's paid media offerings including display advertising, native content, sponsored features, and programmatic solutions. Learn how to match client objectives with the right paid media products.

Explore the full range of commercial opportunities within the Independent Media ecosystem. Identify the right opportunities for each client, build integrated proposals, and close deals with confidence.

Understand the internal workflow processes at Independent Media — from campaign booking and trafficking to delivery and reporting. Essential knowledge for all sales and operations team members to ensure seamless campaign execution.

Learn how to think and operate strategically as part of the Independent Media commercial team. Covers understanding client business objectives, building strategic media proposals, and positioning Independent Media's offerings as a strategic partner — not just a vendor.

Learn how to use Trello to manage campaigns efficiently across departments at Volt Africa. Covers card creation, naming conventions, mirroring, tagging, reporting, and archiving.

Learn about Sandton Times — its history, platforms, audience, and distribution strategy. Essential for sales teams representing the Sandton Times brand.

Understand the programmatic advertising ecosystem — DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, RTB, and the different types of programmatic buying. Essential knowledge for all digital sales teams.

Master Meta paid media — from image text limits and caption best practices to campaign structure, the Learning Phase, Meta Pixel, Lookalike Audiences, and Creative Fatigue. Essential for anyone managing or selling Meta advertising.

Understand the Lighthouse data platform, how to access reports, when to log support tickets, and how data requests are handled at Volt Africa. Essential for all sales and operations teams.