Hosted by the Fojo Media Institute
Media Helping Media is hosted by the Fojo Media Institute at Linnaeus University.
Journalism 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.
Citizen reporting to citizen journalism
How young citizen reporters in Zimbabwe learnt how to move beyond basic storytelling to produce journalism that properly informs the public debate.
Tool: News story checklist
The follow is a structured checklist tool for journalists to consider in order to ensure they produce strong news stories.
Tool: MHM Story Builder
The Media Helping Media’s Story Builder is a simple tool created to help those who are new to journalism write informative news articles.
Producing a radio news bulletin
Crafting a radio bulletin is like serving a balanced meal: It must be nourishing and digestible, and leave your audience perfectly prepared for the day ahead.
Interviewing for video journalists
Tips about the steps a video journalist can take to enhance the quality of filmed interviews.
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.
How to spot a news story
How does a journalist know when they are on the right track? What are the telltale signs that distinguish fact from fiction?
Journalism and the public interest
All news stories should, by definition, be interesting. They should immediately capture the attention and make the audience want to know more.
Pitching a news story to an editor
Every great piece of journalism starts with a pitch — and how you pitch can make the difference between being published or being rejected.
The inverted pyramid for news
The inverted pyramid model puts key news first, followed by supporting details, with the least important background information at the base of the article.
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.
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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The content on Media Helping Media (MHM) is released via Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0.