KNIGHT CENTER //
COURSE STATUS: IN DEVELOPMENT

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.

GET STARTED VIEW SYLLABUS
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Modules

Four weeks covering the fundamentals of CLI-based AI tools for journalism.

MODULE 01

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.

Begin module
MODULE 02

Custom skills for Claude Code

Package domain expertise into reusable slash commands. Write skills for source verification, FOIA requests, and beat-specific workflows.

Begin module
MODULE 03

CLI workflows for newsrooms

Build shell pipelines for data journalism. Automate scraping, cleaning, and summarization into cost-conscious, repeatable workflows.

Begin module
MODULE 04

Agents and RAG

Give Claude access to your documents via MCP. Build grounded, source-attributed systems that don't hallucinate facts.

Begin module
BONUS

Git & GitHub for journalists

Understand version control well enough to tell Claude Code what you need. Commits, branches, merges, and GitHub — explained visually.

Begin module
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Quick start

Get up and running in three steps.

01

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 --version
02

Install 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-cli
03

Run your first prompt

Open your terminal, navigate to a project folder, and start the tool. 

$ cd ~/my-project
$ claude
03 //

Tools

We cover three CLI tools. You only need one to complete the course.

ANTHROPIC

Claude Code

Terminal-based assistant. Strong at reasoning through complex tasks and working with existing codebases.

Requires API key or subscription
View docs
GOOGLE

Gemini CLI

Command-line tool with free tier. Good for quick scripts and data processing tasks.

Free tier with Google account
View docs
OPENAI

Codex CLI

Terminal assistant from OpenAI. Integrates well with existing OpenAI workflows and API keys.

Requires OpenAI API key
View docs
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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.