In association with Fojo Media Institute, Linnaeus University, Sweden

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.

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Translation in journalism

If you are a journalist working in a multilingual society, you may have to work in more than one language.
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Including the human angle in journalism

For news organisations to succeed, they must attract and retain the interest of the public. Here we consider how the human touch is a vital tool in engaging with audiences.
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Using the right words

Words are the essential tools of journalism. They convey meaning and help the audience understand the issues we are covering. So they need to be used properly.
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Preparing for a job interview

Some suggestions for journalists preparing for a job interview.
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Crime reporting for beginners

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

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

Seeking out new angles on a breaking, developing or running news story is an important part of the editorial process.
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Workshops

Workshop: Adjectives and adverbs in news

Journalists should not waste words. Their writing should be concise and tight. Adjectives and adverbs clutter up news stories and should be avoided wherever possible.
Advanced

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.
Exercises

Exercise: The inverted pyramid in practice

The inverted pyramid model places the most fundamental and newsworthy information at the top followed by supporting details, with the least important background information at the bottom.
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