Media Helping Media is hosted by the Fojo Media Institute and is one of its official training resources.
From our BASIC JOURNALISM section
Gender equality in the media
Women make up just 24% of those heard, read about or seen in news output. And only one in five experts interviewed by journalists are women.
Letting the pictures tell the story
Guidelines for reporters writing scripts for TV packages, with some simple tips for making the best use of pictures.
From our EDITORIAL ETHICS section
Offence and journalism
Journalists must ensure that the material they use in coverage has a clear editorial purpose. Where that material is likely to offend, there need to be clear warnings of what is coming up.
Fairness in journalism
Fairness in journalism means exploring all sides of an issue and reporting the findings accurately. Members of the public should never be used to exaggerate the importance of a story.
From our ADVANCED JOURNALISM section
Media guide for spotting election irregularities
In its Election Reporting Handbook for journalists the International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) sets out a list of what journalists should look out for when covering elections.
Presenting and exploiting content online
One of the skills of news website management is knowing how to exploit each story in all relevant sections, so that it appears on multiple section indices.
Unfortunately, Facebook has decided to disable our Media Helping Media Facebook group. Our Facebook page is still live.
Do you have any wisdom to share with those without access to formal training? If so please get in touch.
Media Helping Media (MHM) provides free training resources for those starting off in journalism. Read more …
The content on Media Helping Media (MHM) is released via Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0. Please read the MHM copyright terms.
The mindset for investigative journalism
The investigative mindset is responsible for solving more information mysteries than probably any other factor. If you haven’t started writing down your best strategies now might be the time to start.
20 ways a suspect can help a journalist
Sources are one of the most valuable resources for a journalist. Without sourced information, the reports produced may end up being padded with rumour and personal opinion.
10 tips for investigating corruption
An investigative journalist has to plot the geometry of bribery, determine the currency of influence, document the paper trail, and deal with threats and retaliation when investigating corruption.
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...
Convergence, workflows, roles and responsibilities
A converged newsroom operates like a content factory, responsible for all intake, production and output. It gathers and processes raw material, creates different products, and delivered them to the target audience.
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....
Content sharing for the benefit of all
Small news organisations, eager to offer their audience a wider choice of news, can now take advantage of a free international wires service currently syndicating in 90 languages.
Identifying the target audience and its information needs
The first step in setting up a media business is to identify the audience you plan to serve. You need to know their information needs so that you can better serve them.
Newspaper audience research Q & A
Audience research is essential if a newspaper is to remain relevant and generate revenue, but some publishers fail to gather adequate audience feedback. Here are some issues newspaper publishers should consider.
Transparency and full disclosure – scenario
Try our editorial scenario in which a radio reporter hears supposedly conflicting information during an organised media trip, and has to decide which material best represents the facts for their news broadcast.
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?
Right of reply – scenario
Try our right of reply scenario where you are the editor of a morning radio news and current affairs programme and just before the bulletin you receive conflicting information that is too late to fact-check.
Five essential steps for media training
For international media training to be successful, tried, tested and proven case studies from a similar region are needed. Theory has limited value, as do examples of what works in the West.
The essential qualities of a media trainer
What it takes to be a media trainer
Media trainers must have recent, valid experience of all they teach. They need to understand the pressures...
How to design a successful media training plan
A well-designed media training plan could make the difference between the success and the failure of a media business. Get it wrong and you could be adding to the problems you were asked to address.