There are nearly a dozen tips here. Many I’ve seen from Poynter and others. This comes from a web site, The Truth About Guns. Perhaps presented from a slightly different angle, but always worth thought and consideration as we try to do a good job on a divisive issue. More
Journalism Archive

How To Get FOIA Fees Waived
Changes to Federal laws three years ago, allow reporters to get a waiver on fees under certain circumstances. This Week’s Tip of the Week explains how… thanks to an explainer from Muckrock.
A Ton Of Tips This Week
For this week’s Tip of the Week, we hook you up with summaries from the IRE 2019 Convention. Take a look at the tip sheets ranging from Reinventing TV News to doing Fast & Furious Investigations. Dig in!
Improving Accuracy In Your Stories.
With a hat tip to Deborah Potter, here is a check-list from NPR on improving accuracy in your stories. As we strive to ensure accuracy and therefore credibility, this list can help everyone improve their stories.
Do You Know What You’re Talking About When You Read The Jobs Numbers?
It helps to know what those numbers mean. We tick off how many new jobs there are and where the unemployment rate stands. You will be so much better at reporting such issues if you know what the other numbers mean and where to find a ton of stuff to round out the story. More
Making Alcohol Related Stories More Relevant To Your Audience
Journalists and drinking. Such a stereotypical combination. And a fun one to joke about. However, there are some things that you might want to keep in mind when reporting on alcohol that can add more context and relevance for your listeners, viewers and readers. Chloe Reichel has a tip-sheet “8 tips on how to cover drinking responsibly” More
A Tool To See What Media Is Covering
Our IBA Newsroom Tip Of The Week comes from Samantha Sunne at Tools For Reporters. Be sure to sign up for its mailings.
You can use Media Cloud to search the text published by news outlets to see what they’re covering. Sunne says “There’s a LOT of claims out there about “the media covers this, More
10 Brief Reporting Lessons Available On Sound Cloud
Do you wish you could make it to a conference of the Investigative Reporters & Editors? At the group’s NICAR (better known now as “data journalism”) meeting last month, experts in several areas offered up “Lightning talks” which give you good lessons ranging from stopping the feeling that you are an impostor to data tracking of 911 calls. More
Check Those Facts. Smart Suggestions To Get It Right.
Today (April 2) is International Fact Checking Day. Check your favorite journalism sites and you will likely see excellent suggestions for snooping our fake news and doing a better job of fact checking. I found some advice from across the pond that may be helpful, especially for reporters trying to do investigative work. More
A Refresher On State Audits
This week the Illinois Auditor General released a high profile audit examining the State’s response to the Legionnaire’s disease outbreaks at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy. There are many other audits released throughout the year and most can provide you with interesting information and stories that affect taxpayers across Illinois. More