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

Where does news come from?

The job of the journalist is to uncover the stories that shape our understanding of the world.

The evolution of an original news story

Impactful and original journalism often begins with the answer to a question which, after thorough investigation, develops into a news story with significant implications.

Parliamentary reporting for beginners

To cover parliament, a journalist needs to know local laws, understand parliamentary procedure, and know about the politicians and the political parties.

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.

Conflicts of interest

In journalism, public trust is essential for credibility. One of the most significant threats to that trust are the many possible conflicts of interest that might confront journalists.

Integrity and journalism

Without integrity your journalism is untrustworthy and suspect. Integrity is essential if a journalist wants to investigate issues, shine a light in dark places, and to dig where others don't.

Advanced Journalism

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR ADVANCED SECTION

Handling story leaks and tip-offs

A critical factor for journalists when handling and disseminating leaked material is the need to take account of the motives of the leaker.

Dealing with algorithmic bias in news

Journalists need to be trained in how to recognise and deal with algorithm bias in order to counter the speed and scale at which biased content spreads.

The glossary of Information disorder

The following information disorder glossary is designed to help journalists understand the most common terms used.

Investigative Journalism

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR INVESTIGATIVE SECTION

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.

The investigative journalism dossier

Discipline, order and a well thought out plan are essential for successful investigative journalism.

How to investigate official documents

The investigative journalist never takes things at face value. They probe and question in order to get to the truth, especially with official

Management

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR MANAGEMENT SECTION

Hiring and developing staff

Hiring the right journalists is one of the most critical decisions senior newsroom managers make. The following guide is designed to help editors choose the right candidates.

Community radio running order

The following is a 24-hour daily schedule for a community radio station, balancing core programming elements with listener engagement and local relevance.

Tool: Story Weighting System

Different news stories have a different value for your audience and for your business. Giving news items a 'weighting' can lead to impact and efficiencies.

Newsroom Strategy

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR STRATEGY SECTION

Collaborative journalism explained

Newsroom collaborations are a powerful way to bolster and broaden journalism, allowing all types of organisations, from established global media to new digital ventures and local community sites, to produce original, in-depth, investigative reports.

Female representation in news leadership and coverage

Is your news organisation and its output male dominated? Are women fairly represented in newsroom leadership roles and the stories covered?

Managing people and setting objectives

Media managers need to set clear objectives for all staff in order to get the best out of those who work for the news organisation.

Ethical Scenarios

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR SCENARIOS SECTION

Interviewing integrity – scenario

In this scenario, an award-winning journalist is offered a top job at national TV station, but soon after starting her new job she discovers corruption in the media house.

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.

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.

Training of Trainers - ToT

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR TRAINING OF TRAINERS SECTION

Tool: Training of Trainers (ToT)

Training of Trainers (ToT) courses are designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to train others.

Tool : Training timetable planner

This sample training timetable helps trainers download and adapt MHM lesson outlines for their own specific needs. Ideal for customising your teaching plans.

Designing a media training plan

A well-designed media training plan could make the difference between the success and the failure of a media business.

Training Tools

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR TRAINING TOOLS SECTION

Tool: The Content Value Matrix

In this article we look at the 'content value matrix, a tool designed to help media managers prioritise effort and resources on the stories that really matter to the target audience.

Tool: The MHM newsroom staffing rota

Every news operations needs a staffing rota that provides excellent coverage during operational hours, makes maximum use of resources, and offers significant benefits for staff.

Tool: Training of Trainers (ToT)

Training of Trainers (ToT) courses are designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to train others.

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.

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