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.
Developing and handling news sources
News sources are essential if a journalist is going to find important news stories. They are where we get our information. Without them we will be staring at a blank page.
Lateral reading
When it comes to fact-checking and adding context to news articles, journalists need to apply ‘lateral reading’ in order to broaden their knowledge.
How news value is assessed
The job of the journalist is to sort through daily events and package them into stories in order to inform the public.
How to produce a radio news bulletin
Putting together a radio news bulletin is like preparing a satisfying meal that leaves your audience nourished and prepared for the day
Developing and applying news sense
How do we know what is “news”? There are millions of things going on in the world all the time and only some of them become news stories.
Journalistic roles and responsibilities
Journalism involves many tasks that requires a wide variety of skills. We look at some of the jobs journalists do.
Where does news come from?
The job of the journalist is to uncover the stories that shape our understanding of the world.
The evolution of an original news story
Impactful and original journalism often begins with the answer to a question which, after thorough investigation, develops into a news story with significant implications.
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Setting up refugee media in exile
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