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.

Essential elements of a news story

Image of a journalist researching created using Imagen 3 - created by David Brewer of MHM

SIFT for fact-checking

Radio training workshop in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Image by David Brewer

Where does news come from?

Graphic for email interviewing created with Gemini AI

How to carry out an interview remotely

Here we look at some of the important issues journalists face when interviewing sources in another location via electronic media rather than face-to-face and in real time.

Image of an editor correcting a reporter's copy - created using Imagen 3 by David Brewer of MHM

Why some news stories are rejected

There will be times when a news story is withheld from publication, we look at why, what changes might be needed, and how to make sure a story is ethical and legally safe.

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.

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.

Translation in journalism

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

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.

sub-editor and reporter working on a story. Image created with Gemini AI

The roles of reporters and sub-editors

In newspapers, a streamlined workflow, characterised by minimal editorial intervention, benefits both reporters and sub-editors, ultimately enhancing the publication's quality.

Image by Alexandre Dulaunoy released via Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Shoe-leather reporting

Despite the influx of digital information, the foundational skills of "shoe-leather reporting", involving direct contact, investigation, and verification, remain essential for journalists in the modern newsroom.