Advanced journalism
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.
Fake news and trust chains
"Fake news" encompasses two distinct concepts: fabricated stories masquerading as truth and the dismissal of legitimate news as false.
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.
Creating a fact-checking system
It’s the job of the journalist to try to find and present the truth, but fact-checking isn't easy. It requires a methodological approach to verification.
Avoiding bias during election coverage
During elections politicians will often accuse media organisations and their journalists of bias. We look at the challenges of producing fair election coverage.
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.
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.
The glossary of Information disorder
The following information disorder glossary is designed to help journalists understand the most common terms used.
Journalists and politicians
Journalism is often referred to as “the fourth estate”, and is seen as being crucial to the functioning of a healthy and fair society.
Planning effective election coverage
Planning is essential for journalists to produce effective election coverage.
Making a documentary
A free step-by-step guide for journalists who want to learn how to make documentaries.
Causes of climate change
Journalists must avoid providing false equivalence and false balance when covering news stories – particularly climate change.
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.
Hey AI, what are the top stories of the day?
Have you ever chaired a news meeting surrounded by blank faces with no story ideas? Well, with AI that experience could be a thing of the past.
Editing audio for radio news
We edit audio when airtime is limited. Always consult your editor or producer on the required duration before starting any edits to ensure the item fits.
Understanding post-truth in journalism
For journalists, post-truth represents a critical challenge to our core mission of informing the public with accurate, verified information. Here we look at how journalists should handle post-truth content.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Engaging viewers and listeners
TV and radio presenters need to connect with the audience, building trust and respect. Here Riz Khan shares some tips for engaging viewers and listeners.