Advanced journalism

Our advanced section explores specialised topics for experienced journalists seeking to deepen their expertise. Develop your skills in data journalism, multimedia storytelling, investigative techniques, and complex narrative structures that elevate reporting to the next level. All our material is free to download, adapt and use. Scroll down our site map for all the content in this and other sections.

Image of a news editor working through press releases with a reporter looking on. Created by Gemini AI for Media Helping Media

How to deal with press releases

Press releases often reflect someone else’s agenda. Discover how to analyse, verify, and transform them into strong, independent journalism.

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Why historical context matters in news reporting

News coverage too often reports events without the historical context. Here we look at why understanding the past is essential to explaining the present.

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Self-censorship in journalism

Self-censorship in journalism is intentionally withholding or altering content out of fear of social, professional, or political backlash.

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.

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Prompting AI for journalism

When using generative AI in journalism, it's essential to create the right prompts. The quality of the prompts will define the quality of the response.

Slide by David Brewer released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Presenting news content online

A journalist managing a news website is constantly involved in updating, refreshing and repositioning content in time with the evolving news flow.

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Avoiding bias during election coverage

During elections politicians will often accuse media organisations and their journalists of bias. We look at the challenges of producing fair election coverage.

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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.

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The role of the media lawyer

Many news stories involve straightforward reporting on events, but some more complex stories might require legal advice before they are published.

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Running an effective news meeting

Here we offer 50 suggestions for helping editors run stimulating news meetings that guarantee a steady stream of original stories.

Uk Prime Minister Keir Starmer interviewed by the BBC - image by Number 10 released under Open Government Licence v3.0

How journalists hold power to account

Public service journalism plays a crucial role in society by ensuring that those in power are held accountable for their actions. Discover how that plays out.

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Using AI for story development

How artificial intelligence (AI) can help a journalist brainstorm a story in order to discover multiple news angles

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