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Adopting the ‘big story’ approach

Planning is critically important in the news business. It’s the mark of professionalism and the essence of good coverage. But there are some things you can’t plan.Big stories happen out of the blue. And when they happen you have to spring into action immediately.

Prioritising production with the content value matrix

How to prioritise newsroom effort There are many demands on a newsroom. There is the routine flow of news releases and stage-managed events that need to...

Story development, ensuring all angles are covered

Asking the questions that need to be asked In a previous module we looked at the topic of proactive journalism, where journalists are encouraged to...

Proactive journalism, ensuring issues are fully explored

Informing the public debate Sometimes journalists become lazy. When this happens, the news they produce becomes superficial and shallow. They take information at face value....

Getting the best out of a news meeting

Most newsrooms hold regular news meetings where the editor sets out what news stories are going to be covered and invites the news team to offer ideas about how the news should be developed and covered.

Story weighting system for breaking news

Introducing a story weighting system helps prioritises effort on the stories that are of most value to the target audience, it saves time, speeds up production, and helps avoid wasted effort.

Newsgathering tips for producing great content

The newsgathering process involves sourcing ideas, planning coverage, assigning teams, structuring packages, monitoring the web, working in the field - and coming back alive and well.

Editorial considerations when a ‘big story’ breaks

When a big story breaks the following editorial considerations should be assessed.

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50 tips for budding journalists

A journalist must learn the house rules of the media organisations they are working for. All will have a set of guidelines and a style guide. But here are general tips about starting off in journalism.

Accuracy – scenario

Scenario: There has been a strike at a steel works. The union claims all its 100,000 members were out on strike, but the employer says 50% turned up for work and defied the picket line. You were reporting from the main gates of the steel plant all day and you didn't see anyone crossing the picket line. What do you report?