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.

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

Planning effective election coverage

Planning is essential for journalists to produce effective election coverage.
Image by mikemacmarketing released via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0

Dealing with fake news

Media experts share their advice on how to deal with fake news
Image of scales from Wellcome Trust released under Creative Commons

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.
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.
Image by Bram Cymet released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.0

Tips for motivating journalists

Daily news meetings should be inclusive and agenda-setting. Editors must foster a culture of original ideas and risk-taking to keep staff motivated and alert.
Image by Scale Free Metwork released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Spotting errors in your own writing

Spotting mistakes after hitting publish is a journalist's nightmare. Here, veteran journalists share tips for catching errors when writing news stories.
Interview training for radio journalism students in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, image by David Brewer of Media Helping Media

Interviewing without questions

Some interviews don't have to be a rigid question-and-answer session. A more conversational approach - without asking a single question - can sometimes yield richer insights.
Graphic by @urbanmuralhunter, image by Terence Faircloth, released via Creative Commons

Disinformation and misinformation

Journalists attempting to deal with 'fake news' need to understand the difference between disinformation and misinformation.
Image of a network interface card created with Gemini Imagen 3 AI by Media Helping Media

Data journalism glossary

The following words and terms are commonly used in data journalism. Data journalists might want to familiarise themselves with them.
Photo by Elijah O'Donnell on Unsplash

Fake news and trust chains

"Fake news" encompasses two distinct concepts: fabricated stories masquerading as truth and the dismissal of legitimate news as false.
Image of a storm in a teacup - created using Imagen 3 by David Brewer of MHM

The use of idioms in journalism

Journalists producing serious news coverage must always write in a way that is clear, accurate, free from jargon.
Sebastian Solberg

Making a documentary

A free step-by-step guide for journalists who want to learn how to make documentaries.

Hosted by the Fojo Media Institute

Fojo logoMedia Helping Media is hosted by the Fojo Media Institute at Linnaeus University.

Follow Media Helping Media on Facebook

MHM on FacebookCheck our Facebook page for regular updates from Media Helping Media.

Content released under Creative Commons

Creative Commons logoThe content on Media Helping Media (MHM) is released via Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0.