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.
Photo by Zainul Yasni on Unsplash

Information disorder – mapping the landscape

Information disorder is everywhere according to journalist Claire Wardle. Here she sets out the categories that reporters need to be aware of and research.
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.
Systems thinking (story development) training in Vietnam - image by David Brewer

Systems thinking for journalists

Systems thinking empowers journalists to provide deeper more meaningful news coverage by moving beyond surface-level reporting to uncover underlying related facts.
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 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 journalist covering a climate change rally created with Gemini Imagen 3 AI by Media Helping Media

Journalism and activism

Can a journalist also be an activist for a cause without compromising the core editorial values of journalism?
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
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. 
Sebastian Solberg

Making a documentary

A free step-by-step guide for journalists who want to learn how to make documentaries.
Image courtesy of Randy Colas on Unsplash

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.
Graphic for a Media Helping Media Training Tool

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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