A CPA member benefit
Earn Your Press Pass
Practical, self-guided editorial and sales training for onboarding and refreshers, available through CPA as a member benefit.
Practical training for your team
Earn Your Press Pass ↗ offers self-guided editorial and sales courses for onboarding and refreshers. The practical lessons provide an efficient start for people without formal journalism education and a useful refresher for experienced editors. Member newsrooms can also use the training with freelancers and community contributors.
Editorial training
Learn the fundamentals of community journalism, from finding stories and interviewing sources to writing, editing and covering meetings.
- Find stories, interview sources and cover meetings.
- Practice news writing, editing, headlines and AP style.
- Learn about journalism ethics, the First Amendment and basic photography.
Sales training
Learn the fundamentals of newspaper advertising sales, from understanding ad basics to finding customers, building relationships and making the sale.
- Understand advertising terminology and ad basics.
- Find prospective customers and build relationships.
- Learn needs-analysis selling, making the sale and advertising ethics.
Request course access
Ask your editor or publisher to arrange access for you or a community contributor, or use the request below. Individual members may request access directly. CPA offers a limited number of seats as a member benefit; staff will confirm availability and next steps.
Include your name, email address and whether you are interested in editorial training, sales training or both. Add your newsroom or organization if applicable. An email request does not automatically enroll you.
Looking for press credentials? Earn Your Press Pass is separate from CPA’s press credential program. Completing a course does not provide a CPA press credential or establish eligibility for one. Learn about CPA press credentials .
