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.

Syrian journalist being trained by the author, Naomi Goldsmith

Discrimination trauma in journalism

Newsrooms committed to diversity, in terms of both staffing and coverage, must also deal with the psychological toll that discrimination takes on journalists.
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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.
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.
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Data journalism glossary

The following words and terms are commonly used in data journalism. Data journalists might want to familiarise themselves with them.
Image by David Brewer released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

News updates are essential to modern journalism

News updates are vital in journalism. Continuous story revision ensures accuracy, maintains vital context, and fights digital misinformation.
Image by Russell Trow released via Creative Commons CC BY 2.0

Media safety during elections

Journalists covering elections should never carry a weapon, should have first aid training, dress appropriately, listen to the locals and avoid confrontation.
Image to illustrate specialist reporting created with Google Gemini

Specialisms in journalism

Specialist reporting means going beyond general news coverage in order to develop deep expertise, insight and trust in a particular subject area. 
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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 of a news conference courtesy of Mariusz Kaminski

Brand values in news

All news organisations have values. They are the biggest part of the organisation’s brand. Journalists need to uphold these brand values at all times.
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.
Media coaching image courtesy of Delanoye released via Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0

How to handle a media-trained interviewee

How do you interview someone who has been trained to avoid your questions? You have to recognise the techniques, stay calm, and keep digging for facts.
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.

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