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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 How to succeed as a journalist
Journalists should be accurate, first with news, trusted, easy to understand, straight, aware, disciplined and realistic.
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.
Adjectives and adverbs in journalism
When it comes to writing - not just news writing but any kind of writing - adjectives and adverbs have a bad reputation.
Impartiality in journalism
For journalists, being impartial means presenting information without demonstrating favouritism towards any specific viewpoint or party.
Offence and journalism
Journalists must ensure that the material they use in coverage has a clear editorial purpose. Where that material is likely to offend, there need to be clear warnings of what is coming up.
Fairness in journalism
Fairness in journalism means exploring all sides of an issue and reporting the findings accurately.
Computer-assisted reporting (CAR)
Computer-Assisted Reporting (CAR) refers to the use of digital tools such as spreadsheets, databases, and basic statistical analysis to interrogate large datasets.
Climate change – tone and language
Climate change is a complex and urgent story, demanding careful consideration of tone and language from the journalists covering the issue.
Creating a strong fact-checking system
It’s the job of the journalist to try to find and present the truth, but fact-checking isn't easy. It requires a methodological approach to verification.
How to investigate corruption safely
Investigating and reporting on corruption involves risk. Here we look at how investigative journalists stay safe when covering stories that are likely to anger those who are determined to keep their secrets hidden.
Investigating corruption
A journalist investigating corruption faces many risks and challenges. Investigative journalist Don Ray shares his experience.
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.
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.
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.
Getting the best out of a news meeting
The following is a list of the essential elements required to ensure a successful daily newsroom meeting that provides a clear outline of what news stories are being covered.
The value of audience research
Knowing your audience and understanding the issues they face are essential factors in developing a compelling editorial proposition.
Setting up a media business
A media business is like a table with four legs - the target audience, the editorial proposition, values, and the market.
Organisations supporting independent media
We have compiled a list of organisations that offer operational, strategic, and financial/business support for independent media, helping outlets survive, grow, and enhance their impact.
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.
Journalistic ethics – scenario
In this scenario a reporter feels ethically compromised after accepting hospitality from a developer who subsequently pressured them for favourable coverage.
Privacy protection – scenario
You are working on the online news desk of a large media organisation. News breaks of fighting overseas. Raw footage arrives showing identifiable dead bodies. What do you do?
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.
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.
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: News story checklist
The follow is a structured checklist tool for journalists to consider in order to ensure they produce strong news stories.
Tool: Multiplatform Authoring (MPA)
This multiplatform authoring (MPA) tool enables journalists to write a news story once and publish it on multiple digital platforms. It helps ensure editorial consistency across all the devices the news organisation’s audience uses.
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.