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.

Graphic for a Media Helping Media Training Tool

Tool: Story Weighting System

Different news stories have a different value for your audience and for your business. Giving news items a 'weighting' can lead to impact and efficiencies.
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.
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. 
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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.
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. 
Image of journalists accessing data created with Gemini Imagen 3 AI by Media Helping Media

Data journalism – resources and tools

We have compiled a list of some of the leading resources and tools that are available for those starting out in data journalism.
Image of a journalist in a refugee camp - created by Microsoft's AI Image Designer

Using AI for story development

How artificial intelligence (AI) can help a journalist brainstorm a story in order to discover multiple news angles
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.
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.
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 of an investigative journalist - created using Imagen 3 by David Brewer of MHM

The essential role of journalism

Journalism isn’t just reporting, it’s witnessing history, challenging power, amplifying unheard voices, and making sense of a chaotic world.

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