Check out our short guide setting out how to make the best use of the free training resources on Media Helping Media.
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 PRACTICEFree Journalism Learning Materials
DOWNLOAD AND ADAPT MORE THAN 140 ASSORTED TRAINING RESOURCESEssential elements of a news story
Pyramid journalism and the essential elements for writing a news story.
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...
Including the human angle in journalism
For news organisations to succeed, they must attract and retain audiences. The human touch is vital for building trust and engagement.
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.
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.
Fairness in journalism
Fairness in journalism means exploring all sides of an issue and reporting the findings accurately.
How to motivate journalists
Your daily news meeting should set the tone for everything your news organisation does. It should be dynamic, brimming with original ideas and angles, inclusive and agenda-setting.
False equivalence and false balance
Journalists can sometimes present an inaccurate or false version of events by trying too hard to 'balance' a story or incorrectly treating elements of a story as being roughly equal.
Self-censorship in journalism
To combat self-censorship - a major hurdle for robust, impartial journalism - journalists must first recognize why it happens and understand its root causes.
Why would anyone want to talk to a journalist?
An investigative journalist has to encourage people to share information that they had previously withheld.
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.
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.
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.
Organising effective newsgathering
Here we look at ways to set up a strong newsgathering team from planning, production through to output.
Building a news team from scratch
Selecting, training and organising a strong news team is a challenge in any circumstances, but doing so in a refugee camp with no resources is an amazing achievement. One editor explains how it was done.
A proven way to finance independent media
The Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) offers a distinctive route to media sustainability, combining mission-driven financing with deep strategic support to strengthen independent journalism worldwide.Â
From digital denial to digital first
Failure to recognise and keep up with changing audience behaviour is one of the most common reasons for media organisations struggling.
Forward planning for media organisations
This module looks at how media organisations need to plan ahead in order to produce original content that informs the public debate and makes the most efficient use of resources.
Photo journalism – scenario
In this scenario a reporter tells the newsdesk that she has a strong news story only to find that the facts were not as they seemed.
Scenario: Conflict of interests
In this scenario you are a political correspondent working for a national public service broadcaster. A lobbying company offers you a significant amount of money to train lobbyists in how to influence the media. What do you do?
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.
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.
What it takes to be a media trainer
Media trainers must have recent, valid experience of all they teach. They will not earn the respect of course participants if they can't relate to the issues they face.
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.
Tool: Multiplatform Authoring (MPA)
This MPA tool lets journalists write a story once and publish across multiple digital platforms, ensuring editorial consistency for the news organisation’s audience.
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.
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The content on Media Helping Media (MHM) is released via Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0.