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 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 of a news editor working through press releases with a reporter looking on. Created by Gemini AI for Media Helping Media

How to deal with press releases

Press releases often reflect someone else’s agenda. Discover how to analyse, verify, and transform them into strong, independent journalism.
Image of journalists looking at a computer screen created with Gemini Imagen 3 AI by Media Helping Media

Good journalism has always been about data

We are all data journalists, even those who may have never heard of the term before. Data journalism has been around for years, it's just more accessible and useful now.
Image by Anthony Karanja released via Creative Commons CC BY 2.0

Editorial independence during elections

Election coverage is one of the most critical responsibilities of the media. It shapes public discourse, informs voters, and plays a vital role in safeguarding democracy.
Image by Scale Free Metwork released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Spotting errors in your own writing

Spotting mistakes after hitting publish is a journalist's nightmare. Here, veteran journalists share tips for catching errors when writing news stories.
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
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.
Slide by David Brewer released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Setting online news priorities

Modern news sites act as converged content factories, delivering information across all user devices through a streamlined, multi-platform digital newsroom.
Image by kellinahandbasket released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.0

Avoiding manipulation

One of the roles of the journalist is to scrutinise the decisions made by politicians and report the implications to the public.
"Working late" by Alan Cleaver is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Why follow-up journalism matters

Most news stories need following up. If the original has any value, there will be angles worth developing. If you fail to do so, you let your audience down.
Graphic showing logos of organisations offering trauma support for journalists - by MHM

Organisations offering trauma support for journalists

Check our list of the global networks and non-governmental organisations that provide resources for journalists experiencing stress and psychological trauma.
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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