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.

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.
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.
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Self-censorship in journalism

To combat self-censorship - a major hurdle for robust impartial journalism - journalists must first recognise why it happens and understand its root causes.
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Spotting errors in your own writing

Most journalists need a second pair of eyes to check through their copy in order to spot any factual, grammatical or spelling mistakes.
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Old news is no news, updates are essential

Journalism involves an ongoing commitment to update and rework the material we are producing to ensure that it remains relevant, reflects latest developments, and continues to inform.
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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.
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Forms of information disorder

With the spread of fake news, journalists need to recognise and understand the different categories, types, elements, and phases of information disorder.
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Updating an online news item

Journalists working on a news website are responsible for publishing content on every device their users to turn to in order to access information.
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Fake news and trust chains

"Fake news" encompasses two distinct concepts: fabricated stories masquerading as truth and the dismissal of legitimate news as false.
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Avoiding manipulation

One of the roles of the journalist is to scrutinise the decisions made by politicians and report the implications to the public.
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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 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.

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