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.

Climate change protest image by Michael Gwyther-Jones — Creative Commons 2.0

Climate change – language

Climate change is a complex and high-profile story, demanding careful consideration of tone and language from the journalists covering the issue.
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.
Image of journalists carrying out computer-assisted reporting (CAR) image created using Imagen 3 - created by David Brewer of MHM

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.
"Working late" by Alan Cleaver is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Why follow-up journalism matters

Most news stories need following up. If the original has any value, there will be angles worth developing. If you fail to do so, you let your audience down.
Image by David Brewer released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

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.
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 hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil, by Bhatt released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0

When interviewees dodge your questions

Question avoidance is something every journalist faces. Here we look at common tactics, what they mean, and how to handle them.
The author interviewing an elderly Bhutanese refugee mother in a refugee camp in Jhapa, Nepal, in 2009

How to interview trauma survivors

Interviewing trauma survivors is a core journalism skill. Learn how to talk to someone who has endured personal loss, suffered conflict, displacement, or abuse.
Fact checking graphic produced using Google Gemini

Beyond basic fact-checking

Fact-checking is a complex, evidence-based process which goes beyond simple verification, demanding critical thinking and contextual analysis.
Image of a journalist covering a traumatic incident created with Google Gemini AI by Media Helping Media

Journalism, trauma and stress

Journalists frequently face trauma that affects their wellbeing and work. Explore essential support services for managing work-related stress and trauma.
Image of a journalist covering a health beat/round - created using Imagen 3 by David Brewer of MHM

Health reporting for beginners

Most journalists are generalists, who can cover any kind of story.  But there is also a place for specialists, providing expertise on particular subjects. 
Content value matrix - created by David Brewer of Media Helping Media

Tool: The Content Value Matrix

The newsroom content value matrix is a free tool for helping journalists prioritise information and resources to focus on the stories that matter to audiences.

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