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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Interviewing for video journalists

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

Militaristic words used in journalism

Grammar for journalists

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News writing for beginners

A journalist writing a news story is the author, organiser and decision maker. Without them the story may never be told.

Graphic for a Media Helping Media Training Tool

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.

Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons

How to write a radio news script

Radio journalists must write clear scripts that weave together compelling audio clips, ensuring listeners understand a news story's significance.

Translation in journalism

If you are a journalist working in a multilingual society, you may have to work in more than one language.

Letting the pictures tell the story

Letting the pictures tell the story is an important skill for TV journalists

TV newsroom in Bangladesh - image by Media Helping Media

Constructing a TV news package

This article sets out the basics for creating a news package for TV. It's been created for those starting out in TV journalism.

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What editors look for when hiring

What's the best preparation for a career in journalism? Media Helping Media asked some experts in the field what they look for when hiring staff.

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.