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.

Radio production training in Jaffna, Sri Lanka by David Brewer shared via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

How to create a broadcast news package

Discover how to create concise, compelling TV and radio packages that capture audience attention and deliver information effectively.
Read more
Radio training workshop in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Image by David Brewer

Where does news come from?

The job of the journalist is to uncover the stories that shape our understanding of the world.
Read more
Image by woodleywonderworks released under Creative Commons

Attribution and plagiarism

The importance of attribution and avoiding plagiarism.
Read more
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. 
Read more
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.
Read more
Image by Vladimir Khmelnytskyi released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Developing important news angles

Seeking out new angles on a breaking, developing or running news story is an important part of the editorial process.
Read more
Image of a journalist researching created using Imagen 3 - created by David Brewer of MHM

SIFT for fact-checking

Journalists who are committed to fact-checking, as we should all be, have several methods available to help them deal with fake news.
Read more
Passive and active voice graphic by Anders Behrmann

The active and passive voices in news

Make your news writing more interesting by using the “active voice”. Bob Eggington explains this simple and effective technique.
Read more
Load more

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you

Lessons

Lesson: Engaging viewers and listeners

This lesson outlined is designed to help news presenters deliver TV and radio bulletins that engage and inform the audience. 
Scenarios

Trespass and journalism – scenario

In this scenario we look at a situation where a journalist is faced with breaking the law in order to gather essential information for informing the public debate.
Refreshers

Refresher: Radio journalism skills

This day-long intensive training course offers participants a practical grounding in all industry-relevant skills, ensuring they leave with a comprehensive understanding of the broadcast workflow.
© Content on Media Helping Media is released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 unless otherwise stated.