Find out how to make the best use of the training material on Media Helping Media.
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.
Developing and applying news sense
How do we know what is “news”? There are millions of things going on in the world all the time and only some of them become news stories.
Citizen reporting to citizen journalism
This article was written for a group of young citizen reporters from remote rural communities in Zimbabwe who were learning how to become journalists.
Impartiality in journalism
For journalists, being impartial means presenting information without demonstrating favouritism towards any specific viewpoint or party.
Respecting privacy as a journalist
Journalists face a difficult balancing act. They must respect privacy, but they must also investigate issues that are in the public interest.
Accuracy in journalism
A piece of journalism should have many admirable qualities but one is more important than all the rest: accuracy. Rule Number One is: get it right. If you cannot appreciate and respect that rule, there is no point in going into journalism.
Handling breaking news
Journalists need to have a system in place for covering a breaking news story in order to know who does what and when.
The glossary of Information disorder
The following information disorder glossary is designed to help journalists understand the most common terms used.
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.Â
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Organising effective newsgathering
Here we look at ways to set up a strong newsgathering team from planning, production through to output.
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?
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
Knowing your audience
Identifying the target audience and discovering the information needs of readers, listeners and viewers, is essential for formulating an editorial proposition.
Informed consent – scenario
In this scenario a reporter covering a disaster finds a grief-stricken woman who he films in order to feature in his report before discovering the truth about the tragedy behind her emotions.
Emotional pressure – scenario
How should a reporter respond when someone uses emotional pressure and threats to try to stop them doing their job?
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.
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: Training of Trainers (ToT)
Training of Trainers (ToT) courses are designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to train others.
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.
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: Training of Trainers (ToT)
Training of Trainers (ToT) courses are designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to train others.
Media Helping Media is proud to be hosted by the Fojo Media Institute.
Check our Facebook page for regular updates from Media Helping Media.
The content on Media Helping Media (MHM) is released via Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0.