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Preserving the fundamentals of good journalism
Media Helping Media (MHM) works to safeguard the core principles of accurate, impartial, public-service journalism. We offer free training materials in multiple formats designed to be downloaded, adapted, and used worldwide.
Check out more than 250 articles on journalism best practice
Check out more than 140 free training resources
Try our introduction to journalism curriculum then take the MHM news professionalism test.
Find out Shoe-leather reporting
Despite the influx of digital information, the foundational skills of "shoe-leather reporting", involving direct contact, investigation, and verification, remain essential for journalists in the modern newsroom.
Unlock your journalistic potential
A journalist must learn the house rules of the media organisations they are working for. All will have a set of guidelines and a style guide. But here are general tips about starting off in journalism.
Language and style – basics
This training module from The News Manual looks at language and style in news writing. It offers guidance on how to write sentences for maximum understanding, and examines why care over language is important.
Why editorial ethics are important
The Media Helping Media ethics section is designed to help journalists navigate some of the challenges they might face as they go about their work.
Impartiality in journalism
For journalists, being impartial means presenting information without demonstrating favouritism towards any specific viewpoint or party.
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.
Brand values in news
All news organisations have values. They are the biggest part of the organisation’s brand. Journalists need to uphold these brand values at all times.
Avoiding manipulation
One of the roles of the journalist is to scrutinise the decisions made by politicians and report the implications to the public.
Beyond basic fact-checking
Fact-checking is a complex, evidence-based process which goes beyond simple verification, demanding critical thinking and contextual analysis.
Tool: Motive, veracity, and security (MVS) matrix
This free Media Helping Media matrix is designed to help journalists assess the risks and benefits of investigating a tip-off or a leak.
Why would anyone want to talk to a journalist?
An investigative journalist has to encourage people to share information that they had previously withheld.
The investigative journalism dossier
Discipline, order and a well thought out plan are essential for successful investigative journalism.
Creating a vibrant newsroom culture
The output of a news organisation is determined by how well the newsroom is run. A well-managed newsroom is more likely to produce compelling and engaging content focused on audience need.
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.
Story development techniques
Journalists need to look for related stories, angles, or missing pieces of a story in order to help the audience understand the importance of the issue being covered.
Funding the news – a guide to sustainability
A list of sustainable business models for media managers who are planning to start a media outlet in economically challenging circumstances.
Knowing your audience
Identifying the target audience and discovering the information needs of readers, listeners and viewers, is essential for formulating an editorial proposition.
The value of audience research
Knowing your audience and understanding the issues they face are essential factors in developing a compelling editorial proposition.
Doorstepping – scenario
You are a local newspaper reporter sent out to doorstep a bereaved family but you lie to your news editor because you are reluctant to intrude on their grief.
Journalistic ethics – scenario
In this scenario a reporter feels ethically compromised after accepting hospitality from a developer who subsequently pressured them for favourable coverage.
Off-the-record chat – scenario
In this scenario we look at what a journalist should do with off-the-record information when it relates to a major news event.
How media assistance could improve
Trainers have as much to learn as they have to give. That’s the message to those offering media assistance in transition and post-conflict countries from some of those on the receiving end.
Developing the potential of your staff
Media training is about investing in people - your staff. They are your most precious resource.
Evaluating the impact of training
The evaluation process at the end of a media training session begins the moment you are engaged by the media organisation you are being asked to help because this is when you know the expectations and deliverables.
Tool: Learning management systems
Learning Management Systems (LMS) are increasingly becoming the digital backbone of all media training, in particular Training of Trainers (ToT) courses.
Tool: Gap analysis in media training
'Gap analysis' is an essential part of any 'training of trainers' (ToT) programme because it helps identify the specific needs of participants.
Tool: Evaluation and Impact Assessment
Training should always be judged by its effectiveness, and there are several tools for measuring success. The following is to evaluate the assess the impact of the training.
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The content on Media Helping Media (MHM) is released via Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0.