ESCAPE THE
CHAT WINDOW
Learn to use AI coding assistants from the command line. Write prompts that generate working code, automate tasks, and build tools for your newsroom.
Modules
Four weeks covering the fundamentals of CLI-based AI tools for journalism.
From chat window to command line
Install CLI tools, compare web vs terminal workflows, and write a CLAUDE.md context file that persists across sessions.
Custom skills for Claude Code
Package domain expertise into reusable slash commands. Write skills for source verification, FOIA requests, and beat-specific workflows.
CLI workflows for newsrooms
Build shell pipelines for data journalism. Automate scraping, cleaning, and summarization into cost-conscious, repeatable workflows.
Agents and RAG
Give Claude access to your documents via MCP. Build grounded, source-attributed systems that don't hallucinate facts.
Git & GitHub for journalists
Understand version control well enough to tell Claude Code what you need. Commits, branches, merges, and GitHub — explained visually.
Quick start
Get up and running in three steps.
Install Node.js
Download from nodejs.org and run the installer. This gives you npm, the package manager you will use to install AI tools.
$ node --versionInstall an AI tool
Pick one to start. Gemini CLI is free and works well for beginners.
$ curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sh
# or Gemini
$ npm install -g @google/gemini-cliRun your first prompt
Open your terminal, navigate to a project folder, and start the tool.
$ cd ~/my-project
$ claudeTools
We cover three CLI tools. You only need one to complete the course.
Claude Code
Terminal-based assistant. Strong at reasoning through complex tasks and working with existing codebases.
Gemini CLI
Command-line tool with free tier. Good for quick scripts and data processing tasks.
Codex CLI
Terminal assistant from OpenAI. Integrates well with existing OpenAI workflows and API keys.
Resources
Reference materials to support your learning.
Quick reference
Common commands and prompt patterns for each tool.
Troubleshooting
Solutions to common installation and usage problems.
Prompt templates
Reusable prompts for journalism tasks.
Course review
Browse all course materials in one place.
Course repository
Example code and project files on GitHub.