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.

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

Creating TV and radio packages

Discover how to create concise, compelling TV and radio packages that capture audience attention and deliver key information effectively.
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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?
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Naomi Goldsmith delivering gender training to female journalists in Tanzania

Gender equality in the media

The role of the journalist in rectifying gender imbalance in media is multifaceted, and it involves both individual actions and contributing to broader systemic change.
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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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Image of a newsroom - created using Perplexity AI by David Brewer of MHM

Editorialising is not for news

The free training materials on Media Helping Media are all aimed at encouraging one particular kind of journalism: accurate, fact-based, impartial news reporting.
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Image by melfoody released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 2.00

Parliamentary reporting for beginners

To cover parliament, a journalist needs to know local laws, understand parliamentary procedure, and know about the politicians and the political parties.
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Image by PDPics from Pixabay

Grammar for journalists

Journalists need to observe important grammatical rules when writing news stories and avoid common mistakes that could confuse the audience.
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Image by Chrispen Tabvura released via Creative Commons CC BY 2.0

News sources and the ‘so what’ factor

Every news story needs at least one reliable source that is able to share information that helps the journalist get to the facts.
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Lessons

Lesson: Referencing, attribution, and plagiarism

This lesson plan is designed to teach students how to reference material, provide attribution, and avoid plagiarism.
Scenarios

Transparency and full disclosure – scenario

In this scenario a reporter embedded with the military and closely monitored in a war zone wanders off and discovers a story the army wouldn't want him to tell.
How-To Guides

How to use adjectives and adverbs in journalism

Streamline your writing with this concise guide. Use it as a checklist to strip away confusing clutter and sharpen your journalism for better clarity.
© Content on Media Helping Media is released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 unless otherwise stated.