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Tips for journalists

Tip: Respond to a reader complaint without sounding defensive

Show diplomacy and humility when engaging with your community to maintain their trust

Posted by Marcela Kunova on 24/05/21

Tip: How to stay connected during virtual conferences

Just because an event is online it does not mean you have to miss out on networking and fun

Posted by Josey Vaughan-Hughes on 20/05/21

Tip: Make freelance journalism sustainable

Being in charge of your own income can be daunting. Use this advice to ensure you are making ends meet

Posted by Jacob Granger on 17/05/21

Tip: Dealing with pitching fatigue

If you are freelancing, turn to this advice when the rejections and lack of replies are getting too much

Posted by Jacob Granger on 11/05/21

Tip: Getting the most out of interviewing experts

Improve the conversation and management of your relationships with expert sources

Posted by Anthony Coote on 10/05/21

Tip: Be open about your use of anonymous sources

Quoting an "unnamed source" often looks suspicious to your readers. Bringing clarity into what this means can enhance your credibility

Posted by Marcela Kunova on 27/04/21

Tip: How to deal with covering tragedy

Journalists must be compassionate and human towards those who are grieving. But they must also look after their own mental health

Posted by Jacob Granger on 26/04/21

Tip: Break into video game journalism

Reporters from gaming news website Eurogamer advise on how to establish yourself in this industry

Posted by Jacob Granger on 22/04/21

Tip: Overcome writer's block

Struggling to get your story started? Use this advice to get the right words on the page

Posted by Isobel McCarthy on 21/04/21

Tip: Interviewing over Zoom

Video calls make human interaction tricky. Here is how to preserve your well-being and learn to listen to people

Posted by Isobel McCarthy on 20/04/21

Tip: Community advisory boards 101

Effective editorial guidance requires more than diverse board members. It also needs planning and accountability

Posted by Isobel McCarthy on 19/04/21

Tip: Break through covid-19 news fatigue

Focusing on what your audience truly needs is vital when covering the coronavirus pandemic

Posted by Charlotte Burholt on 16/04/21

Tip: Get your personal project off the ground

Substack writer Brian Morrissey offers ten first-hand lessons on making your own media brand a success

Posted by Charlotte Burholt on 15/04/21

Tip: Juggling freelance work with your 9-5

Find the right balance between a full-time job and freelancing on the side

Posted by Charlotte Burholt on 14/04/21

Tip: Avoid common errors in data visualisation

Make sure you are presenting numbers and statistics correctly to your audience

Posted by Charlotte Burholt on 13/04/21

Tip: Get tailor-made career advice

Land your dream job by speaking to someone who already has it

Posted by Charlotte Burholt on 12/04/21

Tip: End gender stereotyping in news reporting

IJNet advises on how to make the media a more inclusive space for all

Posted by Carlo Simone on 09/04/21

Tip: How to report on migration during the pandemic

Accurate media coverage of migration is as important as it is challenging. This guide from IJNet shows you how to find story ideas and reliable data

Posted by Carlo Simone on 08/04/21

Tip: Reach more people with your investigative stories

GIJN has assembled 12 strategies to keep your investigation in the spotlight beyond the 24-hour news cycle

Posted by Carlo Simone on 07/04/21

Tip: A guide to responsible reporting on vaccines

It is not the journalist's responsibility to make sure that people get vaccinated. But we must provide audiences with accurate information they can trust

Posted by Marcela Kunova on 01/04/21

Tip: Three ways to secure diverse sources

Diversifying our stories also means amplifying marginalised voices. Here is how to best approach people and communities of colour

Posted by Emily Cole on 26/03/21

Tip: Bring data to life using sound

Get creative with statistic-heavy stories using data sonification

Posted by Emily Cole on 25/03/21

Tip: Ethical reporting on sex work

Make sure you are not reinforcing existing stigmas when covering people who sell sexual services

Posted by Emily Cole on 24/03/21

Tip: How to spot bogus science news

Some scientific stories seem just too good, wacky or convenient to be true

Posted by Emily Cole on 23/03/21

Tip: Best practices for investigating right-wing extremism

Four veteran journalists advise on tracking the activities of hate groups

Posted by Emily Cole on 22/03/21

Tip: Use audio effectively for multimedia stories

Follow these simple tips to take your sound design up a notch

Posted by Florence Freeman on 18/03/21

Tip: An editor's guide to supporting staff's mental health

Burnout, stress and anxiety are all factors at play when reporters are isolated and the news cycle is grim. Here is how to protect your journalists

Posted by Jacob Granger on 16/03/21

Tip: How to break into data journalism

You do not need a journalism degree to become a great data reporter

Posted by Ella Cotton on 12/03/21

Tip: Ten steps to plan out your podcast

Behind every great show is a tonne of brainstorming on script, structure and strategy

Posted by Ella Cotton on 11/03/21

Tip: How to successfully pitch to journalists

Reporters at Techcrunch, New York Times and Mashable reveal the difference between a story that goes to press, and one that goes in the trash folder

Posted by Ella Cotton on 10/03/21

Tip: Top skills needed to break into journalism

From good communication to working well under pressure, these are the traits that employers look for in a new hire

Posted by Ella Cotton on 09/03/21

Tip: Nine best practices for reporting on covid-19

Four journalists spanning four continents share lessons learned one year on from the start of the pandemic

Posted by Ella Cotton on 08/03/21

Tip: Interviewing musicians 101

Learn how to get the best quotes and insights when speaking to singers and songwriters

Posted by Jacob Granger on 05/03/21

Tip: A student's guide to writing reviews

Whether it is for a live event or a new video game, make sure your write-up is fair and thorough

Posted by Jacob Granger on 03/03/21

Tip: Become an authentic TV news presenter

Learn how to get rid of the rambling and nervous ticks while delivering news on the screen

Posted by Jacob Granger on 02/03/21

Tip: How to use TikTok to reach new audiences

BBC journalist Sophia Smith Galer shares advice for journalists looking to flock to the platform best known for viral dance trends

Posted by Nathan Clarke on 01/03/21

Tip: Pick the right platform for remote podcasting

Consider a few of these options when you cannot interview your guests face-to-face

Posted by Nathan Clarke on 25/02/21

Tip: How to challenge claims

Sometimes statements hide the truth and you need a healthy dose of scepticism to sort out the facts from fiction

Posted by Nathan Clarke on 24/02/21

Tip: How to submit an FOI request

Freedom of Information can act as springboards for powerful pieces of investigative journalism. But how to get the information you want?

Posted by Nathan Clarke on 23/02/21

Tip: How to find good news in data

Data stories often focus on tragedies and failures. But what if we married data and solutions journalism?

Posted by Nathan Clarke on 22/02/21

Tip: Google search advice for journalists

Do not just punch in search terms and hope for the best. Learn how filters and keywords can refine what you are looking for

Posted by Nishan Chilkuri on 19/02/21

Tip: Five essential steps to make your articles more SEO friendly

Get your stories appearing higher up in search engine results with this advice

Posted by Nishan Chilkuri on 18/02/21

Tip: How to write your first investigative article

Want to undertake an investigative journalism assignment but are not sure where to start? These tips will help you get going

Posted by Nishan Chilkuri on 17/02/21

Tip: How to spot unreliable news sources

Use this advice to determine whether what you are reading is fact or fiction

Posted by Nishan Chilkuri on 16/02/21

Tip: How to find article ideas when you are stuck

Journalists experience writer’s block too. Here are some tips to make sure you always have a story to tell

Posted by Nishan Chilkuri on 15/02/21

Tip: How to break into sports journalism

Dreaming of a job interviewing players and producing match reports? Use this evergreen advice from Gabby Logan

Posted by Olatomiwa Babalola on 12/02/21

Tip: Resources and support for women journalists

Whether they are staffers or freelancers, women journalists face some unique challenges. This handy guide contains dozens of links to networks, tools and opportunities specifically for them

Posted by Marcela Kunova on 11/02/21

Tip: Create engaging content for millennials

News organisations often struggle to reach younger generations because they misunderstand the types of stories and formats these readers are interested in. Here is how to plan your news coverage for the under-35s

Posted by Olatomiwa Babalola on 10/02/21

Tip: How to bring an interview to life

Interviewing is one of the core journalism skills but also a tricky one to learn and hone. Here is some advice to help you get started

Posted by Olatomiwa Babalola on 09/02/21

Tip: Improve your attention to detail when creating a design

The right combination of fonts, space and colour can make all the difference to your social media post or a story graphic. Learn all the essentials here

Posted by Jacob Granger on 08/02/21

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