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.

Propaganda graphic produced by Google Gemini AI

Journalism and propaganda

Journalists must recognise propaganda to avoid spin and deliver factual news. Ensuring the public is properly informed is essential for credible journalism.
Image of journalist taking notes by Marco Urban released via Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0

Self-censorship in journalism

Self-censorship in journalism is intentionally withholding or altering content out of fear of social, professional, or political backlash.
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.
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.
Image of robot and smartphone by Matt Brown (https://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/) released via Creative Commons BY DEED 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.)

Detecting AI-generated images

How can journalists identifying fake photographs with so many dramatic images being shared at speed on social media.
Image of a confidential document changing hands - created using Imagen 3 by David Brewer of MHM

Handling story leaks and tip-offs

A critical factor for journalists when handling and disseminating leaked material is the need to take account of the motives of the leaker.
Image by Dave Null released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.0

A journalist must not have an agenda

Our role as journalists is to unearth information, prepare it and then display it for the benefit of the audience. We are not there to fabricate, manipulate or force.
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.
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.
Slide by David Brewer released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0.

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.
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
Journalists James Innocent Ali (background) and Bakhita Aluel recording links at Radio Easter in South Sudan.

Editing audio for radio news

We edit audio when airtime is limited. Always consult your editor or producer on the required duration before starting any edits to ensure the item fits.

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