Media Helping Media (MHM)

Preserving and promoting the core principles of accurate, impartial, public-service journalism by offering free training materials in multiple formats to be downloaded, adapted, and used.


Essential Journalism Values

CHECK OUT MORE THAN 250 ARTICLES ON JOURNALISM BEST PRACTICE

Accuracy

Why accuracy is essential

Accuracy means getting every single detail in your story absolutely correct.

Impartiality

Why impartiality matters

Impartiality means leaving your opinions at home when you go work.

Public interest

Serving the audience

Public service journalism covers the news that society needs to function.

400 resources

Download and adapt

Free articles, guides, and tools designed to strengthen journalism


Free Journalism Learning Materials

DOWNLOAD AND ADAPT MORE THAN 140 ASSORTED TRAINING RESOURCES

Exercises

Our free one-hour exercises provide practical skill-building activities for self-directed learning.

Workshops

Our two-hour and four-hour workshops offer structured training sessions on essential journalism skills.

Lessons

Our free day-long lesson outlines are for trainers to download and adapt for specific local training needs.

How-To Guides

Our short how-to guides are designed to be checklists based on some of our more comprehensive training articles

Modules

Our free six-week course modules deliver structured training programmes on major journalism themes.

Refreshers

Our free day-long intense refresher courses are to help experienced journalists update their skills .


Basic Journalism

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR BASICS SECTION

Tool: MHM Story Builder

The Media Helping Media’s Story Builder is a simple tool created to help those who are new to journalism write informative news articles.

Editorialising is not for news

The free training materials on Media Helping Media are all aimed at encouraging one particular kind of journalism: accurate, fact-based, impartial news reporting.

Interviewing ‘off the record’

Journalists’ sources sometimes agree to talk only off the record.  Here we examine what that means and how to handle it when sources place...

Editorial Ethics

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR ETHICS SECTION

Is your journalism ethical?

Reliable journalism is based on applying strict editorial ethics to all we do so that we can examine the issues that have the most impact on the lives of our audience.

Fairness in journalism

Fairness in journalism means exploring all sides of an issue and reporting the findings accurately.

Accuracy in journalism

Precision is the soul of journalism. Rule one is simple: get it right. If you can't respect the absolute need for accuracy, this isn't the career for you.

Advanced Journalism

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR ADVANCED SECTION

Dealing with fake news

Media experts share their advice on how to deal with fake news

Updating an online news item

Journalists working on a news website are responsible for publishing content on every device their users to turn to in order to access information.

Editing radio news bulletins

Radio bulletins offer concise updates on the latest news. They deliver key stories tailored to your listeners' interests in just a few minutes.

Investigative Journalism

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR INVESTIGATIVE SECTION

Investigative journalism best-practice

Investigative journalism: Avoiding common mistakes

AI and investigative journalism

The landscape of investigative journalism is undergoing a significant transformation, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a powerful ally for reporters.

The investigative journalism mindset

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.

Management

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR MANAGEMENT SECTION

Setting up community radio

Launching a community radio station is about more than just broadcasting news, it’s about creating a hub for local voices, sharing vital information, and building community spirit.

Convergence: workflows, roles and responsibilities

A converged newsroom operates like a 'content factory', with a centralised 'command and control' desk responsible for all news intake, production and output.

Setting up refugee media in exile

This article deals with how refugee communities can set up and operate a successful news organisation when living in exile.

Newsroom Strategy

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR STRATEGY SECTION

Community radio project plan

Launching a community radio station is a complicated exercise with lots of overlapping elements. The most important thing to do, before you do anything else, is to stop and think.

Convergence: transforming news production

Introducing a converged news operation is rarely easy. Those trying to introduce changes in workflows, roles and responsibilities are often met with resistance.

Funding the news – a guide to sustainability

Sustainable business models for media managers launching outlets in tough economic climates. Explore resilient strategies for long-term growth and stability.

Ethical Scenarios

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR SCENARIOS SECTION

Journalistic ethics – scenario

In this scenario a reporter feels ethically compromised after accepting hospitality from a developer who subsequently pressured them for favourable coverage.

Withholding information – scenario

In this scenario a journalist comes across information that changes the focus of a story the editor had asked them to write. Should they include it or withhold it.

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.

Training of Trainers - ToT

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR TRAINING OF TRAINERS SECTION

Media training requirements

For international media training to be successful, tried, tested and proven case studies from a similar region are needed.

Evaluating the impact of training

The evaluation process for media training is set in motion the moment you are engaged by the media organisation you are being asked to help.

Wanted, your media know-how

Have you got any journalism expertise that you are willing to share with others? If so, please get in touch.

Training Tools

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR TRAINING TOOLS SECTION

Tool: MHM Story Builder

The Media Helping Media’s Story Builder is a simple tool created to help those who are new to journalism write informative news articles.

Tool: The MHM reporter’s notebook

If you are starting out in journalism you might find our Media Helping Media Reporter's Notebook helpful when covering your first story. You can use...

Tool: Newsroom Convergence Implementation

This newsroom convergence tool helps editors deliver content to multiple platforms from one source, increasing reach and efficiency while reducing costs.

Radio production training in Jaffna, Sri LankaCheck out our short guide setting out how to make the best use of the free training resources on Media Helping Media.

Journalism training in KampalaMedia Helping Media has no political or financial backers – it’s just professional journalists sharing their knowlege. Find out more.

Fojo logoMedia Helping Media is proud to be hosted by the Fojo Media Institute.

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Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0The content on Media Helping Media (MHM) is released via Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0.