Local reporting: Stuck for a story? Check the national news agenda - there is nearly always a local angle to a national story and it will help your readers to better understand the issues too. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John Thompson, LocalOnline reporting: Just because the competition has beaten you to it, it doesn’t mean the story is dead. You can be last with the story and still add more to it and even end up with all the traffic. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John ThompsonFreelancing: Most of the time you will be paid in full without deductions. Make a habit of putting aside 25 per cent of that income into a savings account. This will give you a financial buffer in case of sickness and should cover your tax bill with some left over at the end of the year. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John ThompsonEngaging readers: No matter how dull or banal the subject, there is nearly always a human interest angle to be found in any story. Make your article stand out by talking to real people about how they are affected by the issues. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John ThompsonJobseeking: If you are seeking a serious career, be very careful about your use of social networking sites. Employers can and do check sites like Facebook and MySpace to find out more information about you. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John Thompson, social networking sitesOnline research: There are many ways of mashing up RSS feeds into a single feed, but sometimes you might only want posts about a particular subject. Pre-filter your feeds before combining them with Feed Rinse. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John Thompson, Journalism.co.uk, Online research, RSSFreelancing: If you haven’t already, it’s time to invest in a digital recorder that saves to MP3 files. That way you can easily manage an archive of your recordings using software like iTunes. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John Thompson, Journalism.co.uk, MP3, recordings using softwareFreelancing: Agree terms, in writing, ahead of undertaking commissions. Ensure terms of payment are clear on your invoice. Take on slow-payers but direct your efforts at the accounts department, not your contact. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John Thompson, Journalism.co.ukOnline privacy: We should all take more steps to protect our privacy online, but the implications for journalists can be even more serious. Read How to: protect your privacy online and why to learn more. Tipster: John Thompson
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Tags: John Thompson, Journalism.co.uk, Online privacyOnline research: If you write on specialist subjects, find out if the experts in your area (including other journalists) are using social bookmarking sites like del.icio.us. Subscribe to their del.icio.us feed and also to their network feed to get an insight into what they are reading online. Tipster: John Thompson
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