Filter by

Results:

1. Try Dogpile...

   Everyone loves to Google, but there are other good search engines. For a change try www.Dogpile.com. It's already one of the better multiple search tools - they search many engines at once, including Google - and now uses new clustering technology.

2. Public Health reporting - Making the story your own...

   An editor may toss a news release onto a reporter's desk and demand a story, but often it's the reporter who comes up with the ideas.

3. Sourcing is good for you

   On Writing Business News courses we stress that proper sourcing of stories and quoting sources' views rather than making your own predictions gives the stories and you more authority

4. Bloggers - go for your best angle

   Don't clog up your blog with secondary stuff.

5. Faster Internet Searching

   Here's a tip from Journalismnet.com (an old favourite of ours) that can greatly speed up your searches across a wide range of topics: Dave's Quick Search taskbar installs itself on your own taskbar - that bottom strip of icons on your desktop.

6. Bloggers - keep focused

   Good bloggers keep focused rather than rambling.

7. Wars are not just for war reporters

   Did you do your homework to work out which sectors of your economy and which companies might suffer or even benefit from war in Iraq and then in the period after any conflict?

8. More about interviews...

   Don't let your interviewees get away with unsourced statements. Whenever appropriate, ask them 'Where did that come from?' or 'How do you know that?' It's your own credibility at stake, too.

9. Be a fanatic for accuracy

   Whenever you have a shadow of doubt, use all available tools: dictionary, styleguide, calculator, maps, spellchecker, reference books, etc

10. Check those sums!

    Don't rely on other people's figures - even the experts sometimes get it wrong.

11. More about interviewing... (3)

    You are not the star... Unless you're a famous tv inquisitor in the infotainment business - and thus probably better known than the person you're interviewing - try to take a back seat and let all the attention be focused on your subject...

12. Cultivate those sources...

    Developing good sources is vital for any reporter - then, if they are any good, sources should be nurtured and encouraged. It's good to get close to your sources, contacting them even when nothing much is happening. But not too close - always remember this is a professional relationship.

13. Compounding your errors...

    Getting numbers wrong is probably the reporter's most frequent mistake. Try to mentally ear-mark the traps.

14. Tk care w abbrevs.3

15. Watch out/prepare for the inevitable big corporate stories amid the gloom

    Low share prices can encourage takeover bids from other companies.

16. Blogging - opinions are not facts

    Blogging - opinions (even yours) are not facts!

17. Latest is not always best

18. Be nice to photographers...

    Here's a tip from a seasoned photographer: When arriving at an interview, remember to introduce the photographer - he/she is part of the team and can get upset at being treated as a lowly assistant. ...

19. Keep your cool

    When interviewing, NEVER lose your temper

20. Don't wriggle - if you're wrong admit it...

    There was once a wire service journalist, immortalised in a book called 'Kansas City Milkman', who scored a beat over his rivals by jumping the gun on a late-night French parliamentary vote he was sure would topple the government in Paris.

ResourcesTips for journalists