Basics

Our basics section provides foundational knowledge for journalists starting their careers and for those wanting to refresh their skills. Learn techniques including news writing, interviewing, story structure, and reporting practices that form the bedrock of quality journalism. All our material is free to download, adapt and use. Scroll down our site map for all the content in this and other sections.

Translation in journalism

If you are a journalist working in a multilingual society, you may have to work in more than one language.

Word Power graphic by Media Helping Media released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The power of words

Journalists need to understand the power of using the right words when writing news stories

Image courtesy of Gerlos and released under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0

How to spot a news story

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?

Journalism training in Africa. Image by David Brewer shared via Creative Commons

How to succeed as a journalist

Journalists should be accurate, first with news, trusted, easy to understand, straight, aware, disciplined and realistic.

Image by Brandon Anderson released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Crime reporting for beginners

Journalists reporting about crime must balance the public's right to know with ethical considerations, ensuring accuracy, fairness, and sensitivity

Image by Rafael Anderson Gonzales Mendoza released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Journalism and the public interest

A journalist has no right to intrude on the personal lives of others except in cases where doing so will serve the public interest. We need to be crystal clear on what we mean by public interest.

Man working on typewriter, image by Media Helping Media

The qualities of a journalist

Journalism is a demanding profession that requires a unique combination of intellectual curiosity, linguistic skill, and a deep understanding of the world.

Mobile journalism training Harare, Zimbabwe. Image shared via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Citizen reporting to citizen journalism

This article was written for a group of young citizen reporters from remote rural communities in Zimbabwe who were learning how to become journalists.