Welcome! The Digital Skills Agency provides training, consultancies and coaching on mobile storytelling, social media production, multimedia creation, digital and social strategy, audience growth and engagement, newsroom revenue pathways, and digital workflows and processes.

Director and Principal Corinne Podger has designed and delivered training that has helped thousands of people in newsrooms, businesses, government offices, NGOs, media development agencies do their jobs. Everything is customised to meet your needs, your deadlines, and your budget.

Our Approach

We’re absolutely passionate about digital empowerment. Our training design and teaching methods are based on the latest research into how adults learn best. This ensures that you learn the skills you have paid for by the end of your training, and can put them into practice. Visit How We Work to learn more. If you’d prefer to outsource your digital tasks, we will connect you with a suitable professional from our global network of content creators.

Where We Work

We work all over the world. We can set up a group or one-to-one webinar, or come to your office or a nearby training venue, so you can access training when and where you need it. We also offer value-add workshops for conferences and events. 

Our business is fully optimised for social distancing and remote training, and we use familiar tools like Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, Slack, WhatsApp, Facebook Groups, Canvas and Moodle.

Our Commitment To You

• A free one-hour consultation to identify your optimum learning solution

• Flexible delivery including remote webinars, one-to-one coaching, and traditional workshops

• Teaching methods identical to those used at top universities and learning providers

• Training content based on the latest industry standards and innovations

• Check-ins during training to check you’ve mastered each module before moving on 

• Post-course evaluation to ensure you’ve put your new skills into practice

• Access to post-course mentoring and follow-up training to help you build confidence and mastery

• Highly competitive pricing with discounts for NGOs and charities

• Trainer reports for formal learning providers and media development agencies

ORGANISATIONS WE HAVE WORKED WITH

Recent clients include: the World Association of Newspaper Editors, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, BBC Media Action, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Internews, International Media Support, Journalism.Co.Uk, London’s Financial Times, CNN India, Forbes India, Reach Plc and Johnston Press in the UK, ABC Australia, the Vietnam News Agency, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Samoa Observer, Women in News, Women in Media, the World Federation of Science Journalists, the World Health Organisation, the European Commission, Oxfam, Price Waterhouse Coopers, UN IFAD, Oxford University, the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, and the International News Safety Institute.

What Our Clients Say

Muge Ozkaptan, Educational Designer, BBC Media Action: “Corinne is an extremely experienced and inspirational journalist. We have worked together on delivering online courses in mobile journalism, digital storytelling and social media for journalists and media professionals. She is a great team player, and also a solo guru, knows the latest trends & tools and tries to find the most innovative and creative ways to deliver content engagingly. She has a great approach as a trainer and online course writer and is an enthusiastic and multi-skilled practitioner in the digital journalism space.”

Kevin Burden, Zinc Network: “Few people globally are as well informed on the opportunities, tools and processes of lightweight video production as Corinne. She has produced an excellent online resource on mobile journalism and appears always to be helping fellow media professionals to up their game.”

Ruchika Shah, Chief Sub-Editor, Forbes India: “A two-day social media and multimedia workshop with Corinne has transformed the way I approach content creation for both. It has equipped me with the relevant skills to thrive in a digital newsroom while making our stories relevant to a larger audience.”

Jeevan Vasagar, University of Oxford: “Corinne is a brilliant teacher, coupling clear explanation with patience and charm. She took us through the basics of mobile film-making, with everyone in the group filming and editing their own videos by the end of the day. Within a week of the course, it has borne fruit, with college staff producing their first videos for social media broadcast.”

Hannah Storm, CEO, Ethical Journalism Network: “When I was looking for someone to give me some one-on-one social media training, Corinne immediately sprang to mind. She has such a personable nature which combines with profound professionalism and a wide network keeping her connected to all the latest changes and developments in social media. She also really got what it was that I needed help with and, through the remote training we did, she really made me feel much more confident.”

Elsa Evers, Medecins sans Frontières: “Corinne’s workshops at Medecins Sans Frontieres with the Communications team and Medical Unit gave us invaluable skills to shoot simple videos and vlogs while in the field. Corinne customised her training perfectly to our skill level and needs.”

Nidhi Bhardwaj, Times of India: ”We had a fantastic two days full of Digital-First Journalism learning, and the enthusiasm of our participants was very visible through their Twitter Posts with #timeslearning. Thanks Corinne for significant inputs on digital learning for us.”

Sam Waterton, UNICEF: “Corinne is an extremely experienced journalist and producer. I've seen her relentless drive to innovate at BBC Media Action, including the launch of a new policy blog and website space. Her vast training expertise in podcasting and mobile journalism is particularly useful for international organizations looking to develop knowledge within these increasingly important fields."

Fiona Martin, University of Sydney: “Corinne is the dream journalism educator - industry engaged, innovative, critical and wonderful at inspiring students to go the extra mile. She led a mixed group of distance ed students in China and Australia teaching online right through the COVID lockdown. They've had the benefit of her high level cross-platform, mobile and social media expertise and extensive international contacts, and the results have been remarkable.”

Huijie Zhang, MA Student, University of Sydney: “Corinne is one of the most responsible teachers I've ever had. She did a lot of extra work for us, and was so supportive of student questions. As an international student, I felt so supported and I just want to say thank you so much Corinne!!”

Ann Charles, Radio Bionics Ltd: “Corinne's experience as a trainer absolutely shines through. She is patient and methodical, and was able to guide me through Premiere Pro in an online coaching session all the way from Australia to my home in Norwich, in a way that was convenient and very easy to understand. Best of all, she was able to tailor our individual coaching session to meet my needs and highlight the features that would be especially useful in my work. Highly recommended - don't turn down the chance to work with this wonderful woman!”

Kathy Marks, Journalism Lecturer: “I did a one-on-one Mobile Journalism course with Corinne and found it extremely useful and inspiring. Corinne is an excellent teacher - very patient, explains complex things very well, and injects you with her own passion for visual storytelling. Her teaching includes plenty of hands-on, practical exercises. I found her tuition very worthwhile and good value for money. I would highly recommend her to anyone keen on learning how to use a smartphone for optimal stills and video photography.”

Saad Lotfey, Co-Founder, Science Journalism Forum: “Corinne is a great trainer and educator. She delivered an amazing virtual workshop for the 2020 Forum about Mobile Journalism, and it was one of the most attended and viewed workshops during the event. We thought it would be challenging to have this workshop virtually, but Corinne delivered it in a perfect way. The workshop was informative, engaging, and it helped our attendees enhance their skills.” 

Shayne O’Neill, participant, Sturt School ‘Instagram for Art Businesses’: “Whether you have some or little comprehension about how to use and adapt Instagram or are apprehension about how it works and how it can be manipulated to your advantage this course is an excellent investment for developing greater confidence, deeper knowledge and a stronger business brand and model.”