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 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 by Hans and Carolyn released under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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.
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Parliamentary reporting for beginners

To cover Parliament, a journalist must master local laws, procedure, and political parties, backed by a solid grasp of history.
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The inverted pyramid in journalism

Essential elements of a news story

Pyramid journalism and the essential elements for writing a news story.
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The reference books used to create this page - image by David Brewer of MHM

Words that are frequently misused

It's essential for journalists to maintain precision in their use of language, especially when dealing with words that sound or look similar but which carry different meanings.
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Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons

Writing a radio news script

Radio journalists must write clear scripts that weave together compelling audio clips, ensuring listeners understand a news story's significance.
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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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Photo of woman reading newspaper by Photo by Abhijith S Nair on Unsplash

Assessing news value

The job of the journalist is to sort through daily events and package them into stories in order to inform the public.
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Refreshers

Refresher: Delivering training for media professionals

This intensive one-day course offers senior journalists and media professionals a rigorous refresher on the core skills necessary to become effective Trainers of Trainers (ToT).
Workshops

Workshop: Attribution and plagiarism

It's essential that journalists covering news attribute any material that they have gathered from other sources. A journalist must never copy the work of others and pass it off as their own.
Advanced

The essential role of journalism

Journalism isn’t just reporting, it’s witnessing history, challenging power, amplifying unheard voices, and making sense of a chaotic world.
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