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.

Naomi Goldsmith delivering gender training to female journalists in Tanzania

Gender equality in the media

Photo of woman reading newspaper by Photo by Abhijith S Nair on Unsplash

Assessing news value

Image by melfoody released via Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 2.00

Parliamentary reporting for beginners

Image by David Brewer released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Unlock your journalistic potential

The following is a collection of tips for journalists starting off in the job. It's been compiled from advice shared by senior journalists around the world.

Image to illustrate covering and event - created using Imagen 3 by David Brewer of MHM

Covering a news event

Check our news event coverage guide with tips on preparation, on-site reporting, ethical interviews, and capturing compelling photos and video.

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Developing and handling news sources

News sources are vital for journalists to find essential stories. Without reliable information, reporters would be left staring at a blank page.

Journalist writing at a typewriter in army fatigues. Image created with Gemini AI

Militaristic words used in journalism

Here we look at some of the most common militaristic words that are regularly used in journalism, along with their intended meaning and possible non-militaristic alternatives.

Clarity is as important as accuracy

Journalists must write clearly as well as accurately using accessible language that the audience can understand.

An image of a journalist writing on a computer - image by Google Gemini AI

In journalism, good writing is plain writing

The purpose of news writing is to convey meaning clearly and effortlessly by using precise, comprehensible, and easily digestible words.

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The questions every journalist should ask

There are six questions that journalists should consider asking. They are What? Why? When? How? Where? and Who?

Graphic of a construction kit and instructions created using Google Gemini AI

Creating a structured news report

Writing a news item without a plan is like building a kit without instructions. You need a structured story plan to order your facts logically and engage readers.