Editors' Blog | Journalism.co.uk » Top tips for journalists

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – using newsgames in journalism

Rachel McAthy — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:30:52 +0000

The topic of how newsgames could be used to enhance journalism is one which is becoming more widely discussed in the industry, and formed one of the debates at news:rewired – media in motion earlier this month.

In this post from the event, doctoral student at the Georgia Institute of Technology and co-author of Newsgames: Journalism at Play, Bobby Schweizer, outlines seven different styles a newsgame could effectively take, e.g. a puzzle, an infographic or a tool to teach literacy.

He also explains eight uses of newsgames which could be of interest to newsrooms, by helping give users a direct experience of the story and enhance awareness of related issues.

We also previously produced a podcast on newsgames which can still be listened to here.

Tipster: Rachel McAthy

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – 11 social network search engines

Sarah Marshall — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:30:58 +0000

David Higgerson, head of multimedia for Trinity Mirror Regionals, has compiled a list of 10 social network search engines for journalists.

It was published last year but provides rally handy pointers on social media search tools.

We’ll add Topsy to the list (a previous tip of the day).

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

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#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – advice on mobile reporting

Sarah Marshall — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:30:33 +0000

Sky News correspondent Nick Martin has some advice for journalists using a mobile phone to record video.

He shared his tips at last week’s news:rewired journalism conference.

According to this post on three pieces of advice for journalists reporting using a mobile phone, Martin advises:

1. Practise

2. Don’t panic!

3. Use mobile reporting only when it was appropriate, explaining “that it is not worth setting up a tripod and XLR cables for an iPhone when the cameraman is just five minutes away”.

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – use Topsy to search the social web

Sarah Marshall — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:30:53 +0000

Topsy is a is search option recommended by Nicola Hughes, Knight-Mozilla Fellow at the Guardian during a workshop on searching social media at last week’s news:rewired conference.

It is also a previous Journalism.co.uk tool of the week.

Topsy is “one of the only Twitter search tools that has Tweets older than two weeks”, Hughes explained.

In order to research and verify images, Hughes advised putting images in to Topsy to see if they have been previously shared.

The full list of mentions of “Topsy” and #newsrw (the conference hashtag) are at this Topsy link.

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

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#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – post to Facebook at 9am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm

Sarah Marshall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:19:53 +0000

When is the best time to post a news story to Facebook? That was a question answered by Nate Lanxon, editor of Wired.co.uk, at Friday’s news:rewired journalism conference.

According to Lanxon, these times to post on the Wired.co.uk Facebook page – which he considers a “behind-the-scenes fan club” for Wired readers – are best:

First thing in the morning when you get into the office;
Lunch time;
3pm;
Between 5 and 5.30p.m.

There are more tips from the session on social media optimisation at this link.

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – new guide to Freedom of Information Act

Rachel McAthy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:45:59 +0000

The Information Commissioner’s Office has produced a “new plain English guide to Freedom of Information”. It is aimed at helping “public authorities better understand what the Act says and how to apply it”, but may be helpful in reminding journalists of the rules also.

See the guide here.

Tipster: Rachel McAthy

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – media law academic papers

Rachel McAthy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:09 +0000

There’s some useful reading list on media law on the International Forum for Responsible Media blog (Inforrm), where Judith Townend has collected together a number of academic papers on the subject.

The papers cover topical issues such as defamation, privacy and regulation of the press. She has also indicated those which are free to access, and others which require subscriptions.

See the full post here.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – using LinkedIn as a journalist

Rachel McAthy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:47 +0000

TheNextWeb has a post outlining some of the best ways journalists can make use of LinkedIn, such as by simply searching for contacts or looking at the financial results of companies of interest.

Journalism.co.uk has also recently compiled a list of ten tips for journalists on using the platform, and a podcast on making the most of the site which includes an interview with Krista Canfield, senior manager of corporate communications (consumer PR) at LinkedIn.

Tipster: Rachel McAthy

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – kit checklist for mobile reporting

Rachel McAthy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:20:20 +0000

The 10,000 Words blog has produced a list of the key parts of a journalist’s “mobile reporting kit”, based on the advice of social media editor at New York Daily News, Anjali Mullany.

Read the post here.

Tipster: Rachel McAthy

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – efficiency tools for journalists

Sarah Marshall — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:18:17 +0000

Poynter has a post listing cheap and useful tools that can help entrepreneurial journalists be more efficient.

It recommends Evernote, Google Docs, tools for handling invoices, Dropbox and other file transfer tools, plus back-up solutions.

The full post is at this link.

Tipster: Sarah Marshall

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link– we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – how to verify tweets

Rachel McAthy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:46:51 +0000

On Memeburn Peter Verweij has produced a great list running through the different ways journalists can verify the content of tweets and avoid being tripped up. These include using Twitter itself to crowdsource to verify information and also how to check the authenticity of images.

Tipster: Rachel McAthy

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – using digital tools to report elections

Rachel McAthy — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:21:59 +0000

Mashable has a very useful post which looks at how news outlets are using online tools to cover elections in the US, which offers some great ideas for journalists to take note of.

These range from hosting debates on social media platforms to produce interactive maps and “delegate trackers”.

Last year we also collected together five tools journalists might like to try when reporting election results, from visualisation tools to social publishing platforms.

Tipster: Rachel McAthy

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk: online security for journalists

Joel Gunter — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:37:43 +0000

Online security is of growing importance to all, and for journalists in countries that clamp down on free expression it can be vital.

The Knight Center for Journalism in the America’s Natalia Mazotte has a list of simple tips to help journalists avoid being hacked and intimidated online.

Read the list at this link.

Tipster: Joel Gunter

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk: building social media presence

Joel Gunter — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:44:35 +0000

According to Poynter’s Mallory Jean Tenore, ABC News is doing a particularly good job among US news networks of building a strong social media presence, using a small but dedicated team.

There are some useful tips for organisations looking to do the same as Tenore looks at how ABC has bolstered its social media profile, from specific tools like social media contests, to the tone employed by staff, to running open internal training sessions and simply getting staff on Twitter.

See the full article on Poynter at this link.

Tipster: Joel Gunter

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk: covering snow

Rachel McAthy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:32:46 +0000

Weather is big business in news, snow especially. This 10,000 Words case study on how the Seattle Times covered the recent snow and ice storms in the city has some useful tips about ideas and tools for news organisations reporting on and being an information source during a weather crisis.

10,000 Words: How The Seattle Times Covered A Snow Storm

Tipster: Joel Gunter

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.Similar Posts: