Basics

Reporting about conflict and working in a conflict zone is complex. The journalist needs to be sensitive, have an understanding of history, be aware of cultural issues, and put people before the story. 

Style differs from sentence construction (syntax) in that it cannot be quantified; it has no precise rules. This is inevitable because style is concerned not so much with the mechanics of English as with the manner in which the writer uses language to play on the sensations of the reader.

When it comes to writing - not just news writing but any kind of writing - adjectives and adverbs have a bad reputation.

Sometimes crime reporting reflects important issues in society: corruption, drugs, homelessness, hunger, lack of education, or whatever. And sometimes it is just a good story, with no wider implications.

What are the telltale signs that help journalists distinguish fact from fiction, and how do they know when they have uncovered an important news story?

Reporting on court hearings is an essential part of journalism. It requires an understanding of local laws and knowing what can be reported and what can’t.

There is a fine art to interviewing politicians. You need to understand their motivation, realise they will have a script, not allow them to complicate matters, refuse to be sidetracked, and retain an open mind.

Journalists covering news should always be considering what might happen next and thinking through the consequences of the events they are reporting on.