CNN Academy Summer Institute

Storytelling & Crisis Response

28th - 9th July 2027

Open to Students & Journalists/Media practitioners - contact Catherine. Carey@ucd.ie for advice

Study Abroad Students taking the programme to gain academic credits for their home programe

Each week of the programme carries 5 ECTS credits (10 total for the full two weeks). UCD uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System; your home institution determines the credit awarded for programmes completed at UCD.

US-based students: we recommend 3 US credits per week (6 total) be awarded on successful completion.

Costs €2,500 .. Apply here

If you are not taking the programme for credits such as Journalists / Media practioners

Cost €1,500 -Apply here

Journalism is changing. The pressure to get it right isn't.

AI can write a headline in seconds. It can’t verify a source, sit with a witness, or decide what’s responsible to publish when a story is still unfolding and the facts are still incomplete. That judgment — the actual work of journalism — is what this programme is built to test.

Week 1 is where you build the craft — mobile and digital storytelling, and the AI research, verification and production skills now expected of anyone entering the field. Week 2 is where you find out whether it holds: five days inside a fictional humanitarian crisis, reporting it as it develops in real time — against working aid workers from Irish humanitarian agencies playing the officials, NGOs and communicators managing that same crisis.

That’s what makes this programme unlike any other: the crisis is covered from both sides at once. People who handle real emergencies for a living run the press conferences, hold the public line under hostile questioning, and decide what to release and when.

Participants leave with: 

• Practical, portfolio-ready multimedia and AI-reporting skills 

• First-hand experience of how fast-moving, high-stakes stories actually get reported 

• Confidence operating under pressure, in a team, on a deadline 

• A clear-eyed view of where AI genuinely helps journalism — and where it can’t 

Programme Overview

Programme

WEEK 1 Storytelling in the Age of AI

Virtual - self-paced online courses + live workshops

Focus - Core multimedia and AI Skills for modern storytelling

Learning Style - Self-paced online modules, live virtual masterclasses

Five days of virtual training in the core skills of modern journalism and content creation: 

• Mobile journalism — shooting and editing broadcast-quality video on a phone 

• Digital storytelling — building stories that hold attention across platforms 

• Creator journalism — the skills and instincts of independent, platform-native storytellers 

• Key AI skills for journalists — using AI tools for research, verification and production without losing editorial judgment 

Week 2

CNN Academy Simulation

Format - In-person at University College Dubluin

Focus - Applying thoses skills inside a live humanitarian crisis

Learning style - Immersive, scenario-based, team reporting

Five days, in person at UCD, inside a fictional country facing an unfolding humanitarian crisis. Working in international teams, participants: 

• Respond to new developments in real time, under deadline 

• Verify sources and separate fact from disinformation 

• Conduct interviews and attend mock press conferences with role players 

• Produce multi-platform coverage using mobile tools, from the field 

Built for the next generation of storytellers.

The programme is designed specifically for: 

• Journalism and media students — or students with a strong interest in journalism (minimum 1 year of university study) 

• Young storytellers — creators, campus reporters, and early multimedia storytellers looking to build real editorial and production skills 

Why this programme matters

Journalism is changing — but its core values are not.

As technology reshapes how stories are found, verified and distributed, journalists face new responsibilities alongside new tools. This programme creates space to learn, question and experiment — guided by professionals who are navigating these challenges every day.

Participants leave with:

• Practical, transferable skills

• A clearer understanding of how AI is affecting journalism now

• Greater confidence working across platforms and technologies

• Insight into where the industry may be heading — and how to shape it responsibly

Costs, VISAS & staying on campus

Participants are responsible for securing a visa to enter Ireland for week 2, if required. More information here.

Students: Want to stay on campus? Accommodation can be provided the special rate will be provided soon

Credits for students

Students can opt to take this programme for academic credit. Each week of the programme carries 5 ECTS credits (10 total for the full two weeks). UCD uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System; your home institution determines the credit awarded for programmes completed at UCD.

US-based students: we recommend 3 US credits per week (6 total) be awarded on successful completion.

‍ What participants say about our programmes

“As a journalism student, the simulation allowed me to do what many internships don’t: fully immerse myself in a story and engage directly in the action.”

“The simulation taught me that strong storytelling isn’t about speed it’s about clarity, ethics, and staying calm when everything around you is chaotic”

“This truly took hands-on learning to a new level and really felt like real life”

“An experience like no other, the simulation is a real eye-opener, offering a glimpse into the world of journalism.”

“The best week in the almost 23 years I’ve lived on this Earth, how can I do this for the rest of my life?”

“This simulation didn’t just teach me journalism- I learned to think, report, and respond under real newsroom pressure.”

To apply, email Catherine.Carey@ucd.ie indicating your eligibility by 28th April 2027

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