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

What is public service journalism?

Public service journalism covers the news society needs to function.


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

Developing and handling news sources

News sources are vital for journalists to find essential stories. Without reliable information, reporters would be left staring at a blank page.

Clichés, journalese, and jargon

Journalists need to recognise and then avoid using journalese, jargon, and clichés. Their writing must be clear, easy to understand, and informative.

Court reporting for beginners

Reporting on court hearings requires an understanding of local laws and knowing what can be reported and what can‘t.

Editorial Ethics

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR ETHICS SECTION

Unconscious bias and journalism

Bias is a prejudice for or against a group, often leading to unfair judgements. While it's a normal human trait, understanding our biases is vital for fairness.

Offence and journalism

Rigorous journalism inevitably offends some audiences. Global broadcasters must cover all aspects of human experience to reflect world affairs accurately.

Impartiality in journalism

For journalists, being impartial means presenting information without demonstrating favouritism towards any specific viewpoint or party.

Advanced Journalism

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR ADVANCED SECTION

Hey AI, what are the top stories of the day?

Have you ever chaired a news meeting surrounded by blank faces with no story ideas? Well, with AI that experience could be a thing of the past.

A journalist must not have an agenda

Our role as journalists is to unearth information, prepare it and then display it for the benefit of the audience. We are not there to fabricate, manipulate or force.

Fake news and trust chains

"Fake news" encompasses two distinct concepts: fabricated stories masquerading as truth and the dismissal of legitimate news as false.

Investigative Journalism

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR INVESTIGATIVE SECTION

Tips for investigative journalism

This article looks at some of the main points to consider when producing a piece of investigative journalism.

Dealing with suspects as news sources

Sources are one of the most valuable resources for a journalist. They need to be handled with care in order to build trust and gain knowledge.

Investigating corruption

A journalist investigating corruption faces many risks and challenges. Investigative journalist Don Ray shares his experience.

Management

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR MANAGEMENT SECTION

Diversity in journalism

The importance of diversity in journalism extends beyond representation, it is also about enriching the news coverage produced and ensuring its relevance to a wider audience.

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.

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

Reviewing news output is essential

A media house needs to be continually assessing whether its output is meeting the needs of the audience and achieving business targets.

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.

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.

Ethical Scenarios

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR SCENARIOS SECTION

Trespass and journalism – scenario

In this scenario we look at a situation where a journalist is faced with breaking the law in order to gather essential information for informing the public debate.

Accuracy – scenario

In this scenario a reporter witnesses a mass walkout of workers from a factory affected by industrial action. The company claims it's business as usual; the union says all workers have downed tools.

Emotional pressure – scenario

How should a reporter respond when someone uses emotional pressure and threats to try to stop them doing their job?

Training of Trainers - ToT

SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM - OUR TRAINING OF TRAINERS SECTION

International media training

Those invited to help the media overseas need to ensure that the training they offer is continually refreshed in order to stay relevant and useful.

Tool: SMART objectives for media training

Those delivering media training need to focus on SMART objectives, which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound.

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: 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.

Tool: Optimism index for media trainers

The 'Optimism Index' is a tool designed for trainers of group journalism sessions to gauge and ultimately improve the participants' hope for the future.

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.

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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