From our BASIC JOURNALISM section
News sources, numbers and the ‘so what’ factor
Journalists covering news should always be considering what might happen next and thinking through the consequences of the events they are reporting on.
Essential elements of a news story
Pyramid journalism and the essential elements for writing a news story.
From our EDITORIAL ETHICS section
Respecting privacy as a journalist
Journalists face a difficult balancing act. They must respect privacy, but they must also be rigorous and robust in their investigation into issues that are in the public interest.
Photojournalism and ethics
Media Helping Media has produced a set of suggested ethical guidelines for video and photojournalists in order to try to help those in the field navigate everyday editorial issues.
From our ADVANCED JOURNALISM section
How to set online news priorities
Increasingly, news websites are the product of a converged newsroom operating as a content factory and delivering information to whatever device the user turns to in order to access information.
Confronting editorial bias in election coverage
Allegations of bias in the news media happen all the time, but they are most evident at election time. When deadlines are tight and pressures are greatest, the weighing of these factors may be less thorough.
Media Helping Media Facebook Page
Media Helping Media offers free training resources covering basic, advanced and investigative journalism, editorial ethics, media management and strategy, and staff training. We also have scenarios to test journalistic instincts. The site is supported by Fojo Media Institute.
Avoiding the pitfalls of investigative journalism
Producing a piece of investigative journalism to international standards can be a daunting prospect. This guide is to help journalists avoid some of the pitfalls and problems often encountered.
The mindset for investigative journalism
The investigative mindset is responsible for solving more information mysteries than probably any other factor. If you haven’t started writing down your best strategies now might be the time to start.
Compiling an investigative journalism dossier
Discipline, order and a well thought out plan are essential for successful investigative journalism. It starts with the compilation of a solid dossier built with meticulous precision and executed with an attention to detail.
Prioritising production with the content value matrix
How to prioritise newsroom effort
There are many demands on a newsroom. There is the routine flow of news releases and stage-managed events that need to...
Getting the best out of a news meeting
Most newsrooms hold regular news meetings where the editor sets out what news stories are going to be covered and invites the news team to offer ideas about how the news should be developed and covered.
Story development, ensuring all angles are covered
Asking the questions that need to be asked
In a previous module we looked at the topic of proactive journalism, where journalists are encouraged to...
Identifying the target audience and its information needs
The first step in setting up a media business is to identify the audience you plan to serve. You need to know their information needs so that you can better serve them.
Managing people and setting objectives
For most staff, personal objectives are the most important, but they also need to know about the wider objectives. It is the line manager's responsibility to set personal objectives to help employees contribute fully.
Creating a converged news operation
A converged news operation offers improved quality control, more efficient workflows, cost savings, a steady flow of original journalism across all devices, and new resulting business opportunities.
Public interest – scenario
This scenario looks at some of the issues that need to be considered when deciding whether a story is in the public interest.
Emotional pressure – scenario
How should a reporter respond when someone uses emotional pressure and threats to try to stop them doing their job? In this scenario we look at a situation where a reporter is begged not to cover a story, and then threatened with violence if they publish. What would you do?
Editorial impartiality – scenario
Allegations are made about an incompetent medical surgeon and a subsequent cover up at a hospital. People have died. Your news editor asks you to investigate. The only problem is – the surgeon is your cousin. What do you do?
Adopting the right attitude for media training
A trainer must not shout at participants or get into loud arguments. They must not make those attending their courses feel small or humiliate them. Some fairly strong points made by participants.
Maximising the impact of media training
Thorough research is the essential if you are to deliver high-impact media training. Never accept a brief from media managers without question - they could be wrong and often are.
The essential qualities of a media trainer
What it takes to be a media trainer
Media trainers must have recent, valid experience of all they teach. They need to understand the pressures...