Reporters looking to break into data journalism are encouraged to check out a how-to column published by The Guardian. The piece breaks down the vast field of data journalism into four manageable parts: finding, interrogating, visualizing and mashing data.
The majority of editors are optimistic about the future of newspapers and don't view the development of new media as a threat to newsrooms, according to an international survey.
After years spent covering the war in Iraq for the Washington Post, American journalist Jackie Spinner decided she wanted to improve journalism in the country. So last year, she formed a newspaper in Kurdistan -- a region, she points out, without a Bill of Rights or laws to protect press freedom.
A Mexican journalist says newspapers will survive by uniting communities and producing high-quality, accurate, appealing journalism in both print and digital platforms.
Most investigations usually begin with a tip from a source, or simply a hunch, that something is amiss. Perhaps you have noticed a series of events that suggest a pattern or trend that deserves a closer look.
Marketing means selling your dream to others. So you can't be shy when it comes to talking about your newspaper. That's where advertising comes in. At a start-up or struggling newspaper, the best tool for advertising is frequently your own newspaper. Advertising yourself in the pages of your own newspaper does two things: (1) It gets your message to lots of people (2) It demonstrates that you have confidence in your own product. As an added benefit, you can afford it.
Each reporter is different and each story is different. None of these techniques will work in every situation or with every reporter. Gauge the needs and personalities of your staff and try these techniques as you think they fit the situations and people. Remember that you are working not just to improve the story at hand, but future stories as well.
