If you want to be a journalist, Bob Woodward’s MasterClass is a great choice. This course helps you improve your writing skills and create impactful stories.
Even if you’re not good at writing, you’ll find it interesting. Bob Woodward has had access to the last eight U.S. presidents, and you get a unique view of history.
In this review, I’ll explore what makes Bob Woodward’s Investigative Journalism MasterClass special. I’ll also explain how MasterClass is different from other learning websites—it’s unique because industry experts teach the courses.
Bottom Line Upfront:
Bob Woodward’s MasterClass is a must for aspiring journalists, offering a comprehensive course to refine writing skills and create impactful stories.
Even non-writers find it fascinating, gaining a unique perspective on history through Woodward’s access to the last eight U.S. presidents.
In this article I have shared what makes his Investigative Journalism MasterClass exceptional, emphasizing MasterClass’s unique approach with courses taught by industry experts.
If you’re serious about journalism or simply curious, Woodward’s MasterClass is a standout choice.
I highly recommend it—try it now for an enriching learning experience.
Table of Contents
Bob Woodward Masterclass Review 2024
Who is Bob Woodward?
Bob Woodward is an investigative journalist; he has been mentioned as the best journalist by the news and by many other faculties.
He also is a writer who has written many books, in all he has written 18 books of which 12 have been no.1 national nonfiction bestsellers, which is so great.
Course Description: Bob Woodward Masterclass
Section: 1
Bob emphasizes the importance of journalism today in this section. He also claims that there are no limits to discovering “the best obtainable version of the truth.”
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Section: 2
Investigating a story
- This part is divided into 5 parts
- Guiding principle
- Finding the story
- How to approach in-depth reporting
- Hunting down the document
- Developing the theory of the case
Guiding Principle
Here, he explains to the audience about getting out of their comfort zone and carving their own path to success, and he also teaches students how to leave an opinion and political slant out of their reporting.
Finding the Story
He tells the students more about being a reporter and tells different types of stories, as well as what makes compelling news stories. He also imparts knowledge to the students by saying that if a better story materializes, you must be open to change.
How to Approach In-depth Reporting
He speaks about what is required for an in-depth reporting approach and how it is done; all it takes is being persistent, focused, and proactive.
He also discusses with students the value of giving your case the time and effort it deserves and getting out in the fields to verify what you’ve learned from your research.
Hunting down the Document
Bob teaches you about the importance of documentation; he speaks about both acquiring the documentation for your report and documenting your own research. He shares multiple ways to find written evidence to build a story.
Developing the Theory of the Case
Bob gives advice to the young journalist about holding back the judgment: don’t be so quick on judging, and this is the way it is; be patient.
His own stories of reporting share knowledge about common pitfalls reporters run into when developing their own theory of the case.
Section: 3
The Watergate Investigation
This part of the chapter is divided into two parts
- The reporting challenges for Watergate
- How Watergate’s mark felt became deep throat
The reporting challenges for Watergate
Bob shares the story about Watergate, how it was a pivotal moment in his career, he shares his experience and all he learned reporting on groundbreaking historical events.
How Watergate’s mark felt became deep throat
Here, Bob reveals a story about how he met Mark and how he developed his relationship with Mark, the source who later came to be known as “deep throat” during the Watergate scandal.
Section: 4
Working with Sources
This part of the chapter is divided into 8 parts
- Finding sources
- Developing sources
- Building trust with sources
- Growing a roster of sources
- Penetrating the CIA- building a relationship with Bill Casey
- Preparing for the interview
- Conducting the interview
- Navigating interview challenges
Finding sources
Bob here tells why sources share the information with the journalists, and he also tells assesses who you should talk to while investigating a case and who you should avoid.
Developing sources
He shares the ground rules to strategically share what all you know, and he also teaches what to keep in mind, initiating contact with sources for your story.
Building trust with sources
He shares about building trust with sources and how important it is to build trust. He says it is the most valuable lesson you can learn as a reporter. He breaks down his approach from expediting intimacy to maintaining your boundaries.
Growing a roster of sources
Bob here says good reporting will open many doors, as a reporter the more sources you have in your arsenal, the better your chances of unearthing valuable information. He also shares tips about how you can expand the scope of people talking to you and how important it is.
Penetrating the CIA- building a relationship with Bill Casey
The CIA is the hardest target, says Bob himself in this lesson; developing a relationship with a source over time can be one of the most important productive endeavors a reporter can take on. Bob shares the story of how he built his relationship with CIA director Bill Casey.
Preparing for the interview
There are a few important steps to be taken before taking any interview formally, and Bob shares all of the steps and measures to be taken in this part of the lesson, like deciding the perfect place to meet and deciding whether to send the questions beforehand or not. Bob walks you through and prepares you for the interview.
Conducting the interview
One of the most important things he thinks about while conducting the interview is body language; Bob also says that interviewing is one of the most important parts of being a reporter.
In fact, speaking about interviews, he also has attached his interview file about his interview with Barack Obama, the former president of America, and Donald Trump, the current president of the United States.
Navigating interview challenges
Many challenges that can arise when you are interviewing someone to uncover the truth are the biggest ones. Bob here provides students insight into how to push through interview obstacles, from withstanding hospitality to addressing deception.
Interviewing high-profile sources
- Students dig into Woodward’s interview with Trump. As I mentioned earlier about Woodward’s interview with Trump, Bob and students from his Yale seminar dig into it together. They have a word of knowledge about journalism and the interview.
- Students critique Woodward’s interview with Obama, The same students from his yale seminar dig into another interview with Barack Obama and share their words of knowledge with each other.
Writing the story
After all the investigative work and research Bob teaches you how to write a story, he here shares his word of conduct with the students about how they can turn uncovered into compelling pieces of journalism.
Polishing the story
Polishing the story is equally important as writing is; Bob here gives you the knowledge from deciding what details to include to evaluate word choice to how to find your news story once your initial draft is completed
Advice for Journalist
1. Lessons from the editors
Over the years, Bob has faced a lot, from the surprising value of rejection to the importance of honesty; he shares all about what he has learned from the editors, even the renowned Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee
2. Publishing secrets
Bob here explains his approach towards reporting on secrets, in particular information that involves the public’s safety, national security, and government intelligence.
4. Learning from mistakes
He here shares his personal stories of the mistakes he has made in life and what he has learned from them.
5. The state of journalism
Bob here shares how the internet has transformed the landscape of journalism as it plays a great role now, he also encourages the reports to keep fighting for the uncovers truth at any cost.
Bob Woodward Masterclass Reviews
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- One of the best things that I felt about this course is Bob has added a personal touch to every part of his stories.
- He also added clips of his own performances to make it clearer for the students.
- This course offers great value with its lessons on leadership development and career management.
- It helps you improve your professional appearance to gain more confidence as an author or speaker.
Cons:
- Because this is a fairly comprehensive course, a few of you may find the masterclass to be too long.
- There isn’t enough time to work on all your own projects at once, so it becomes difficult for students.
Bob Woodward Masterclass Pricing
MasterClass is like a platform where you can learn lots of different things. You can’t buy just one course; you need to be a subscriber.
It costs $180 for a year, and with that, you can watch as many classes as you want on one device.
There are more than 180 classes on different topics, so if you plan to take several classes in a year, the subscription is a good deal.
And here’s a cool thing: if you don’t like it, you can get all your money back within 30 days. So you can explore and learn without worrying too much!
Bob Woodward Masterclass Testimonials
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FAQs
📑 Do Bob Woodward Masterclass have assignments?
Your class project is a 3,500–4,500 word investigative reporting project aimed at examining a government program, school, local event or business. The idea is that you use the advice in Bob’s MasterClass as you go through different stages in planning for and writing your investigative piece.
💲 What is the cost of Bob Woodward Masterclass ?
It has an annual membership of $180 excluding taxes
🙎♂️ What is MasterClass?
MasterClass is the streaming platform that makes it possible for anyone to watch or listen to hundreds of video lessons taught by 100+ of the world’s best.
🤷♀️ How does the 30-day guarantee work?
Their goal is to make sure that you have the best learning experience possible. If MasterClass isn’t for you, then email them within 30 days of the date you purchase your subscription. They’ll offer a full refund.
📺 Where can I watch?
With MasterClass, you can learn and be inspired anytime, anywhere, including your smartphone, personal computer, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku streaming media players. You can even download your favorite lessons and watch on the plane or listen during your commute in audio-only mode.
Conclusion:
The Bob Woodward MasterClass is an excellent course that is well-explained with stories, clips, and excellent examples. The course is broken down into manageable chunks.
This course is ideal for those who have just started or are about to start their career as a journalist. It covers a wide range of topics that a journalist should be aware of, and it is taught by the best journalist in the world, Mr. Bob Woodward.
In my opinion, this course is totally worth it for beginners.
Overall, this MasterClass course on investigative journalism by Bob Woodward is one of the best masterclasses I’ve come across because it teaches everything a beginner or performer needs to know. Everything is properly explained with a personal touch.
So, a resounding yes to the course from my end, and why not? So, if you’re thinking about taking this, please do so without hesitation.
Popular Videos of Bob Woodward Masterclass
Bob Woodward Masterclass On Social Media
Highly recommend checking out @MasterClass. Just finished the Bob Woodward class. Fascinating stuff and I’m basically an award-winning investigative journalist now. Which is cool.
Bob Woodward Teaches Investigative Journalism https://t.co/QdGOvqy3rw
