12 essentials for creating effective digital stories
Posted: October 21, 2026 Filed under: Rick's Rules, Journalism Training | Tags: audience, data visualization, journalism tips, Journalism Training, multimedia journalism, Multimedia Reporting Leave a comment
By RICK DUNHAM
Writing for digital platforms requires different writing styles than the legacy news platforms it has eclipsed.
Readers who consume news on their phones or laptops prefer writing that is briefer and livelier than traditional print articles. Yet they want greater depth and insight than contained in a traditional television news report.
Here are 12 essential elements that will help you succeed in the digital news world.
1. No wasted words
There is no room for self-indulgence in digital writing. Every word matters. People click away from stories if they get bored or annoyed. If you write something and no one reads it, you are not an effective journalist in the digital age.
2. Think short
Short sentences. Write like you speak to a friend, not the way you’d write a report for a government agency or for a thesis.
Short leads. Don’t pack too many words into the first sentence. And don’t write it like a routine wire story lead: “Something happened today in our city, officials said.” Boring!
Short paragraphs. A screen containing one paragraph of dull, gray type is deadly. Vary paragraph lengths, but keep them to a maximum of three sentences.
One thought per paragraph. Don’t try to say everything all at once. Flow naturally from idea to idea. Keep the structure simple.
“A general rule of thumb: Web content should have about half as many words as its printed equivalent,” journalism trainer Tony Rogers has written.
3. Think visually
Don’t just think of the words you will write. Think of how it will look on the screen. You want it to be attractive visually. That means white space (and not just text). It means attractive and easy-to-understand graphics. And it means engaging and, ideally, shareable images.
4. Know your audience
Your writing may differ in subtle or significant ways based on your audience’s profile. Is it older? younger? more educated? more conservative? What is the audience’s nationality (or nationalities)? Is it regional or national within a country? Is it global? Does it have a particular interest in certain subject matter (economics, commerce, the environment, diplomacy)? , may write differently
5. Focus most items around a single theme
Forget about the traditional “kitchen sink” round-up story that deals with a number of developments on a single topic. Pick an important or engaging development and write a narrowly focused, compelling piece. If two or three developments are newsworthy and interesting to your audience, you can write multiple posts. Many news outlets combine these single-topic articles under the banner “the latest news on” today’s big story.
6. Be direct
Always use active sentence structure. Be conversational. Use strong verbs, precise nouns and as few adjectives and adverbs as possible. (Examples: Avoid wasted words like “very,” “a few” or “unfortunately.”) Never use stilted language or flowery prose. Get to the point. Always stay on point.
7. Be immediate
Make it clear quickly why someone would want to read your story now. Unless you are writing a long narrative that someone can bookmark and return to, you want to be immediate. Your target audience will either read it now – or never. Make it now!
8. Be more analytical
Try to add value, even in short stories. Provide analysis, context and even a bit of relevant history. Explain why something happened or what might happen next. Always consider what you might include that would make the reader leave you story thinking that they learned something interesting.
9. Use more lists and “bullet points”
Articles made up of lists, or structured to include a list of “bullet points” (the big dots that resemble bullets), are easier on the eye. They also save space by eliminating transition sentences from one thought to the next. Another plus: Younger audiences (age 35 and under) are particularly drawn to these so-called “listicles.”
10. Liberally insert links
Your digital stories can be easier to find on search engines if you include embedded links in your story. Embedded links have an added advantage: They save space by allowing you to link to background material rather than describing it in your own story. In addition to embedded links, keep people on your app or website by linking to related stories or other articles by the author.
11. Consider embedding social media posts and videos in your stories
Digital stories don’t have to be use a single storytelling medium. By embedding social media posts, short videos or even mini-documentaries in your post, you create a user-friendly multimedia melange.
12. Find your voice
Write like a person, not like a computer. Sound like you are someone the reader would like to know. It’s OK to include some “personality” in the story, as long as the personality is inviting. But don’t let that personality interfere with – or overwhelm – the main points of your article.
Rick Dunham is co-director emeritus of the Global Business Journalism program at Tsinghua University and a visiting professor in the Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication. He is the author of the textbook, “Multimedia Reporting,” published globally by Springer, and co-editor of “The Routledge Companion to Business Journalism.”
Mr. Dunham is a veteran Washington journalist, White House correspondent and former president of the National Press Club. He also served as Washington bureau chief of the Houston Chronicle and White House correspondent for Business Week magazine.
Mr. Dunham has offered news analysis for news outlets from countries including the United States, China, Finland, the Philippines, Denmark, Estonia and Russia. He has trained professional journalists, journalism students and journalism educators in locations including the United States, China, Finland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Lebanon and the Philippines.
How to nail data journalism with compelling storytelling
Posted: October 17, 2026 Filed under: Journalism Training, Rick's Rules | Tags: audience, Data Journalism, data visualization, SEO, storytelling, writing Leave a comment
By RICK DUNHAM
In today’s digital landscape, data journalism stands as a powerful tool in uncovering truths, engaging audiences, and informing the public. However, presenting data merely as numbers and charts can often lead to dry content that fails to resonate. Effective storytelling in data journalism transforms raw data into compelling narratives that capture attention and inspire action.
Here are some of the essential elements that make storytelling an effective tool in the realm of data journalism.
Understanding the data
The first step in crafting a story from data is to deeply understand the information at hand. This means not just knowing the figures but also grasping their implications and the larger context. Analyzing the data helps in identifying patterns, trends, and anomalies.
When you understand your data, you’re better equipped to explain what it reveals. Think of the journey your readers will take: you want to guide them through the maze of numbers and lead them to meaningful insights.
The power of visuals
Incorporating visuals such as charts, graphs, and infographics can significantly enhance your storytelling. A visual representation can often convey complex data more effectively than paragraphs of text. By integrating visuals, you allow your readers to see the story in a different light, engaging them on both a visual and intellectual level.
Make sure your visuals are clear, relevant, and accurately represent the data. Avoid clutter by focusing on one main idea per visual. A well-designed infographic can distill comprehensive information into digestible bites, allowing the reader to grasp key points quickly.
Finding the human element
One of the most effective storytelling techniques in data journalism is connecting numerical data to real-world human experiences. Data can often seem impersonal, but tying statistics back to individuals or communities makes the data relatable and emotionally engaging.
Consider interviews or testimonials that illustrate the human impact behind the numbers. For instance, a data-driven story about unemployment rates can be strengthened by including personal narratives of individuals who have faced those challenges. Fictionalizing the data with real-life contexts creates a bridge between the cold hard facts and the reader’s heart.
Identifying and crafting a narrative arc
Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end. In data journalism, it’s important to structure your narrative effectively. Start with a compelling hook that draws in your audience and piques their curiosity. This could be an intriguing statistic or a provocative question.
Once you’ve captured their attention, delve into the data, presenting it in a logical flow. Use subheadings, bullet points, and concise paragraphs to make the information easily digestible. Finally, conclude with a powerful ending that reinforces your main message and leaves a lasting impression.
The role of context
Providing context is critical in helping readers understand the significance of the data you’re presenting. Data doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it is affected by numerous factors that shape its meaning.
For example, when reporting on climate change statistics, contextualizing the data with historical trends, related policies, and current events can enrich the story. Ensure you clarify why the data matters and how it relates to broader societal issues.
Engaging your audience
To maintain reader engagement, consider incorporating interactive elements wherever possible. Think about ways to invite the audience to participate, be it through comments, social shares, or surveys about their reactions to your data.
Asking questions can encourage readers to engage with the material more actively. For example, “What do you think about this trend?” or “Have you experienced something similar?” can motivate audience interaction and foster community discussion around your story.
SEO considerations
In the digital era where content is constantly competing for attention, it’s essential to make your posts search-engine optimized (SEO). Use relevant keywords naturally within your content to enhance visibility.
This includes incorporating terms related to data journalism within headings, subheadings, and body text, but remember to maintain the flow of the narrative. The goal is to inform and engage your readers while also making it easier for them to discover your work online.
Data journalism storytelling
Effective storytelling in data journalism is about connecting with your audience on a deeper level, making complex data understandable, and infusing human experiences into statistics. By mastering narrative techniques, embracing visuals, and providing context, you can transform ordinary data reporting into compelling stories that resonate with your readers.
As you continue your journey in data journalism, remember: the magic is not just in the data itself, but in how you tell the story. Strive for clarity, empathy, and engagement, and watch as your data-driven narratives captivate and inform your audiences.
How you can improve your writing through self-editing
Posted: October 16, 2026 Filed under: Journalism Training, Rick's Rules | Tags: Journalism Training Leave a comment
Cyndi Hughes is president of Cynthia Hughes Literary Consulting. This article is adapted from her lecture to Rick Dunham’s News Writing course.
Editing is where the magic happens — it’s the other half of writing. It’s the hidden, or behind-the scenes, process you use to craft your story.
Editing is like putting together the pieces of a story puzzle. The process of editing hones the message or theme that you want to convey. It removes distractions for readers that can undercut your credibility as a writer. It makes the story clearer and more concise. It often ensures the story “fits” the space allocated for it. It checks for adherence to grammar, spelling, punctuation and style guidelines. And it ensures factual accuracy.
Editing involves “big-picture” and “small picture” facets.
The “big-picture” review is often called developmental or content editing. This process includes reviewing:
- the theme or premise (What is the overall point of the story?)
- the story’s structure (Does the narrative structure convey the story’s theme and tell the story in a compelling way? If not, could the story be structured in a more effective way?)
- the supporting facts (Do the facts in the story build a clear case for the theme?)
- any missing information (Does the story have gaps that undercut the theme?)
“Small-picture” editing involves two other forms of editing: copyediting and proofreading:
- Copyediting makes sure that grammar, spelling, punctuation and tenses are correct and that your story conforms to style guidelines. It also watches for factual errors, missing information or continuity problems.
- Proofreading is a final pass to catch any remaining errors and includes checking embedded links and double-checking of dates, names, and titles.
As a writer, one of the best skills you can learn is how to self-edit your work before submitting it to your editor. Editing yourself is one of the hardest things to do in journalism.
Learning how to edit can happen by osmosis: If you read enough good stories and work with good reporters, editors, mentors and professors, you will start developing an innate sense of story structure. To become a good editor, you need to put in your time. Remember writer Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours rule” and invest the time required to hone your editing skills.
One way to start learning is to pay attention to the feedback you get from other reporters and editors. Understanding the feedback you receive will improve your writing and your skill set over time. When you begin, remember this: Don’t take feedback or criticism personally. Editing is a team sport, and you, your colleagues, and your editors all working together to put out the best content for your readers.
Over time, you’ll start thinking like an editor whenever you’re reading stories by other reporters, reading books, listening to podcasts, or watching television news and even movies and television shows.
Here’s a self-editing checklist you can use:
- Start by being kind to yourself. The first (or even the second or the third) draft of your story is rarely your final draft. And that’s okay. From then on, you’re editing and rewriting.
- Make sure your story has covered the 5 Ws and 1 H. (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?)
- Examine your story’s structure and make sure it aligns with the story-structure expectations for whatever news outlet you’re working for.
- Double-check all facts and sources and do not take any facts for granted. Remember the famous journalism saying: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” Find additional sources as needed.
- Make sure all verbs and subjects agree. Examples: Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen is my favorite mystery author. (No, they ain’t.) Facebook is changing their algorithms again. (No, they are not.)
- Be ruthless with adjectives and adverbs. When in doubt, delete. Examples: “Bill deceptively stepped back and then carefully took a shot from 6 meters away.” Just delete the adverbs. As American author Stephen King says, “The road to Hell is paved with adverbs” – and we can add “adjectives” to that!
- Avoid passive voice and use active voice. Example: “Curiosity killed the cat” instead of “It was curiosity that caused the cat to be killed.” Save space. Be clearer. Polish your prose and use simple, direct language with strong nouns and active verbs.
- Eliminate wasted words. Rewrite any sentences starting with “There is” or “There are.” Delete words like “now,” “currently,” “presently,” “really,” “very” or other redundant words.
- Check spelling. And remember, the dictionary is your friend!
- Check punctuation. A magazine once printed this comma-deficient headline: “Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog.” (Let’s hope she didn’t cook her family and her dog.)
- Make sure all quotations and facts include correct attribution.
- Make sure verb tenses are consistent. Most journalism stories are written in simple past tense and present continuous. Don’t jump back and forth between past and present tenses.
- Review your story for compliance with style guidelines. English news writing style varies around the world. American, British, Canadian, Australian, South Asian news outlets have distinct styles. It is important to know which style guidelines are used by your news outlet. (Global Business Journalism uses Associated Press and Bloomberg News style manuals.) Be consistent. Style rules are not “mix and match.”
- Use placeholders for anything you need to track down or confirm. If you’re editing and keep stopping to find missing information, that interrupts your editing flow. Finish your editing “pass” first, then add those missing pieces. Professor Rick Dunham uses “TK” for details that are “to come.” Some journalists use “xx” for missing facts and “00” for missing numbers. Make sure to fill in those facts before publication.
- Check continuity. The story should flow naturally from section to section. Avoid lazy transitions (“meanwhile,” “but,” “on the other hand,” “in other business”).
- Before submitting your work, proofread it: Read a story from the bottom to the top or from right to left (or left to right, depending on your preferred language) to look for typographical errors and final small problems.
Perhaps the most important editing skill you can develop is paying attention to your own Inner Reader whenever you’re reading anything or watching movies or television:
- Where do you get bored?
- Where does the story zip along for you?
- Where do you stop reading — and what brought you to a halt?
- When do you start screaming in delight, “Whoa! I didn’t see that coming!”
- When do you throw the book or magazine across the room or hit “stop” on your remote?
- When do you get to “The End” and immediately turn back to the beginning to start rereading the book or re-watching the movie again?
At first, you might think you don’t have an Inner Reader, but just keep listening for it. It will appear.
One final tip: Find a mentor! Working with an experienced reporter or editor and reading behind him or her is priceless and one of the best ways to learn about editing.
Cyndi Hughes is president of Cynthia Hughes Literary Consulting. She is a former copy chief and deputy executive editor at Texas Monthly magazine and copy chief for the Austin American-Statesman’s Features section. She is the founding director of the Texas Book Festival and the former executive director of the Writer’s League of Texas.
Her email is cyndi.hughes@hughesliterary.com.
The 10 essentials of news writing
Posted: October 15, 2026 Filed under: Journalism Training, Rick's Rules | Tags: balance, fairness, journalism tips, Journalism Training, news reporting, storytelling, writing Leave a comment
By RICK DUNHAM
No matter how good a writer you are, you cannot be a good journalist without a solid grounding in journalism basics. After 35 years in journalism and a decade in journalism education, I have boiled down the basics to 10 essential traits. Here they are:
1. Truth
Journalism is nothing without a solid bedrock of truth. Your writing must be accurate. But accuracy is not enough: Your stories must be true. If you accurately report an untrue or misleading statement, you are doing a disservice to your audience.
2. Clarity
Make sure your audience understands clearly what you are saying. The words you use should convey the meaning you intend. Be specific. Use active voice. Put numbers into context – particularly large numbers. Avoid long, disjointed sentences shackled with confusing dependent clauses.
3. Completeness
Make sure you have included all of the most important and relevant details. Make sure you placed the main facts of the story into context. Don’t just report on “what’s new” – mention “what’s next” or “why.” Don’t include irrelevant and unimportant details. But make sure you have not misled you audience through omission.
4. Compelling storytelling
You are competing for your audience’s attention in a cluttered information world. Readers are easily distracted, especially when they are consuming your story on a mobile device. To keep their attention, your story must be better than good. There is no substitute for compelling storytelling. Hook the reader from the first sentence. Demonstrate quickly why the story is interesting and important. Make sure that fresh information and strong details are at the top of the story. All of your quotations should add value. The story should move briskly. Every sentence should enrich the reader’s experience.
5. Tight writing
As Strunk and White wrote more than a century ago, “Omit needless words.” Be concise. Keep your sentences short. Keep your first paragraph short (usually under 35 words). Avoid superfluous adverbs and adjectives. When in doubt, leave it out. But remember this: Tight writing does not mean leaving out important details or analytical points. It means trimming the merely ordinary to leave more room for the extraordinary.
6. Precision
Use the right word to convey the right meaning. Avoid vague verbs such as “to have,” “to be,” “to do” or “to get” when you can be more specific. Avoid over-general words such as “some” or “many” or “a lot.” If you have trouble with precise word choice, you need to expand your English vocabulary.
7. Timeliness
You always want a time peg for your news story. On breaking news, that’s easy: News is happening now and I am writing about it. But news features and enterprise projects should be timely now. You might “peg” your story to an anniversary date, an upcoming event or the release of a book or movie. Always be able to answer this question: “Why is this story of interest to my audience right now?”
8. Fairness, balance and responsibility
Ethics are a core value of journalism. Your stories, even opinion pieces, should be fair. You should provide context for breaking news. Multiple points of view should be considered, although you have no obligation to give equal space to everyone. The “target” of a critical story should be given an opportunity to respond before publication. Fairness sometimes includes truth-telling and fact-checking. It is your responsibility to report the truth, not to repeat the assertions of powerful people.
9. Transparency and honesty
You must be straight with your audience if you expect them to trust you. Don’t steal material from others. Properly attribute all material (facts and quotations) that you found on other platforms. Avoid conflicts of interest. Never take money or gifts in exchange for writing a story (or not writing a story).
10. Real reporting
Don’t expect to write a complete report if you have not done some first-hand reporting. A pandemic is not an excuse: You owe it to your readers to gather facts yourself. Don’t just repeat what you saw in a report or a press release. Don’t “curate” the best work of other journalists. In the old days, engaged in what old-timers called “shoe-leather reporting.” Today, you might be wearing slippers in your home office. But get to work and do some real reporting!
More information on Rick Dunham’s textbook, “Multimedia Reporting”
Business journalism’s 5 pillars of purpose: My take on economic reporting’s core principles
Posted: September 28, 2026 Filed under: AI, Dunham's Discourses, Global Business Journalism, Journalism Training, Media, Rick's Rules | Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, business journalism, ESG, Global Business Journalism, International Center for Journalists, Journalism Training, Linda Lew, Lise Olsen, Mark Hamrick, Media, News business, Sharon Moshavi, watchdogs, writing Leave a commentBy RICK DUNHAM
In a media world transformed by digital disruption, economic volatility and the never-ending news cycle, high-quality business journalism has never been more essential for citizens around the world — or more challenged by a convergence of economic and political forces. Amid social media misinformation, corporate spin, government pressure and declining trust in institutions, the mission of business news organizations has evolved to serve a public increasingly hungry for clarity, accountability and context.
While styles of business news coverage vary across platforms and countries, five core goals remain central to economic reporting in the modern era.
These five fundamental missions — informing the public, interpreting economic trends, holding power accountable, guiding decision-making and spotlighting broader economic shifts such as innovation and inequality — are the cornerstones of meaningful, responsible business journalism. Let’s take a look at each of them.
1. Informing the public: Gleaning clarity from complexity
At its heart, business journalism exists to inform. It demystifies complex economic developments, financial markets, and corporate affairs for a broad audience. From interest rate hikes to stock market volatility, from GDP reports to global supply chain disruptions, the goal is to translate jargon into accessible language without sacrificing nuance.
“Business journalism has always been important but never has it been more important than right now,” Mark Hamrick, founder of the Hamrick Brief, told Global Business Journalism students. “This obviously is a remarkable time in human history — the rate of change is remarkable. The ability to tell a story well is one of the most important skill sets we have.”
Good business coverage doesn’t just report the what — it explains the why and the how, helping readers understand how distant decisions by central banks, tech CEOs, or energy producers can affect household budgets or career prospects.
2. Interpreting trends: Context beyond the headlines
Modern business journalists are not merely stenographers of the day’s earnings calls or labor reports. They are interpreters — placing economic and corporate events in a broader context. Why does a stronger dollar matter? What does a jobs report signal about inflation? How does a tech company’s quarterly performance hint at shifting consumer habits?
“Every news story needs a paragraph on the significance or context of the news and business news is no different,” noted Jeffrey Timmermans, a longtime Wall Street Journal reporter now working at the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism. “Each business story should explain why the news matters to the reader.”
Interpretation has become even more critical in an era where data is abundant but understanding is scarce. Long-form explainers, data journalism, podcasts, and interactive graphics have become key tools for business reporters helping audiences grasp long-term trends — from climate finance to the future of AI.
3. Holding power to account: Watchdogs in the boardrooms and beyond
Perhaps the most vital and difficult of business journalism’s missions is accountability reporting. This includes exposing fraud, investigating regulatory failures, scrutinizing executive behavior and tracing the flow of money and influence in both the public and private sectors.
Whether covering the fall of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried, probing the causes of the 2008 financial crisis or revealing how fossil fuel corporations shaped perceptions of climate change in much of the world, investigative business reporting plays a key role in serving the public interest.
“Customers, investors, pensioners, employees and taxpayers all have been harmed in recent years by a reckless disregard at the highest levels of companies,” Gretchen Morgenson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning financial journalist, told a Wharton School leadership conference. “If the people who have created these disasters and profited from them are allowed to slink off into the night, then I think we will be confirming the suspicion that the paths of the powerful are protected, and that the little guy is left to fend for himself.”
In the wake of growing public anger over wealth inequality and the power of transnational global corporations, the watchdog role of business journalism is ethically important — and it is increasingly expected by audiences, even in countries with some limits on press freedom.
4. Guiding decisions: Practical tools for spending, work and wealth
Another core mission of business journalism is helping individuals and institutions make informed choices — whether about investments, careers, consumption or business strategies.
This service-oriented aspect has grown in popularity and sophistication, with media brands like Bloomberg, CNBC, Morning Brew, and The Wall Street Journal offering targeted newsletters, personal finance columns, real-time market updates, and deep industry analysis.
In short, business news has become more personal. Increasingly, it’s not just about what Apple or Tesla did — but about what you should do next. That could be consumer decisions, investment choices or retirement options.
“People read our words, based on which they shape their own opinions and make decisions,” Colin Pope, editor of Austin Business Journal, told students in the Global Business Journalism program’s Business News Reporting and Editing course.
Not every economic journalist is up to the challenge of simplifying the numbers and explaining complex data. The 2025 Barnum Financial Group “Study of Americans in the Workplace“ found that 39% of respondents felt intimidated by financial complexities, contributing to “a population struggling to access and understand the financial resources they need” to make economic decisions.
The clearer business journalists can be in their data analysis and reporting, the more confident their audience can be in decision-making.
Morgenson, now a senior reporter for NBC News Investigations, says her aim as a reporter is to “simplify complex financial dealings so all readers can understand them. Although I am thrilled to have received an array of journalism awards over my career, the most rewarding aspect of my work is helping readers cut through financial fog and protect themselves and their families.”
5. Telling the broader economic story: Innovation and inequality
Today’s business journalism must also capture the complex forces shaping the 21st-century economy: rapid innovation, increasing inequality, and the battles over globalism and global economic dominance.
From covering the rise of artificial intelligence and green energy startups to exploring the gig economy, inconsistencies in labor rights from nation to nation, and the gender pay chasm in some countries, business journalists are storytellers of transformations and of stubborn traditions.
More often than not, those stories are not simply “bottom line” business stories but are societal narratives that often touch on local and national politics, social justice concerns, minority rights, women’s rights and environmental policy.
“Journalists are needed more than ever to bear witness to history,” Linda Lew, a reporter for Bloomberg News in Hong Kong, told Global Business Journalism program students.
This increased coverage of economic justice issues means that ESG (an acronym for Environmental, Social and Governance) investing issues, and diversity in corporate leadership, are no longer niche coverage areas. They are central to understanding the modern economy — and to building trust with younger, values-driven audiences. Coverage of the rise of far-right populism from the Americas to Europe requires skill in both economic and political analysis.
What’s more, in the midst of today’s rapid innovation, business reporters must be prepared to cover the industries of the future, from green technologies to artificial intelligence. Beat coverage can range from profiles to narratives, corporate profit deep dives to investigative pieces about venture capital fundraising attempts.
Reporters covering these emerging industries (and markets) must be able to explain — in simple language — what the technology is and what its impact will be on the lives of people around the world. They also will be called on to cover the business end of companies in a boom-and-bust world that sees spectacular successes, meteoric flameouts and a few criminal prosecutions. All of which are exciting — and challenging — for the reporters covering the story.
The future: Business journalism in the digital age
As the digital economy has expanded, so too has the media ecosystem covering it. Traditional print and television outlets now compete with newsletters, TikTok explainers, YouTube analysts, Substack authors, and especially influencers with strong opinions about crypto or real estate. To demonstrate the power of the influencer culture: More Americans got news about the 2024 presidential election on TikTok from influencers and celebrities than from traditional news organizations’ video feeds, according to Pew Research Center findings.
Yet even amid information overload and the cacophony of facts, opinions and rumors, professional business journalism remains distinct. It is evidence-based, ethically grounded, and committed to transparency.
“There may not be a single truth, but a fact is still a fact,” said Sharon Moshavi, president of the International Center for Journalists. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and there is no such thing as absolute and ultimate truth. But a phone is a phone. My AirPods are AirPods … And I think only then are we going to get to that world I like where facts reign.”
Truth is not journalism’s only challenge. Revenue models are shifting. Audiences for traditional media are rapidly shrinking. Misinformation spreads quickly. Reporters face pressure to produce more with fewer resources. And AI tools are transforming how news is gathered and delivered.
Still, the mission endures.
“I’m always looking for something that is hidden, something people don’t want other people to know,” said Lise Olsen, Houston-based investigative reporter focusing on crime, corruption, workers’ safety and human rights, during a lecture to Global Business Journalism students.
This report first appeared on the Global Business Journalism program website.
How cropping photos can change the editorial content of a photograph
Posted: December 20, 2015 Filed under: Journalism Training, Rick's Rules, U.S. politics | Tags: 2016 presidential race, cropping, Donald Trump, Journalism Training, media bias, multimedia journalism, Nancy Pelosi, photo composition, photo cropping, photo editing, photography, presidential election, White House 1 Comment
Marital bliss: This photograph from Donald Trump’s latest wedding is fraught with political overtones.
Photography captures reality.
Or does it?
Yes, a high-quality photograph that follows my 25 rules of photo composition can be a major asset for your multimedia journalism report.
But a photograph is not necessarily objective reality. Why?
Cropping.
As you edit the photograph, you are making editorial decisions: What part of the photo is most important or newsworthy? (That is different than editing decisions based on attractiveness.)
Here are two examples: One benign, one politically charged.
I took the first photo in my final day on the White House beat, Sept. 2, 2013. It shows House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaking to a group of reporters outside the West Wing entrance (also known as “the Stakeout”). The second photo is a wedding snapshot featuring Bill and Hillary Clinton at Donald Trump’s most recent wedding.
Nancy Pelosi at the Stakeout. The viewer’s eye focuses on the media scrum.
The edited photo focuses on Nancy Pelosi.
The original image: The Trumps and Clintons are all smiles at Donald Trump’s latest wedding.
Edited photo #1: That was then, this is war: Hillary and Donald look happy together. That’s not the way they’re acting in the heat of the presidential race.
Edited photo #2: Editing out the Trumps, this could be any of the tens of thousands of Clinton family photos taken over the decades.
Edited photo #3: Editing out the spouses, this version looks like Bill Clinton is enjoying his time with Mrs. Trump. It emphasizes their left hands meeting along her waist.
The Trump-Clinton wedding photo is fraught with political overtones. Some of Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign rivals would like to remind voters of his bipartisan past and his longtime coziness with the Clintons. The unedited photo is incontrovertible evidence that the two families were close enough that they were all smiles together in the not-so-distant past.
By focusing on Donald and Hillary, the photo editor chooses to highlight the 2016 rivalry, without the spouses. It’s Hillary vs. Donald. All smiles then. All insults now.
By editing out the Trumps, this is an unexceptional photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton smiling for the cameras. Little news value.
By editing out Donald and Hillary, the photo focuses on Bill Clinton with his arm around an attractive woman. Her left hand touches his, prompting the viewer to reach her/his own conclusion about the body chemistry.
The takeaway lesson: When you are editing photos for content, think about how your cropping decisions change the meaning of the image in the eyes of your audience. Are you sending the message you want to send? Are you fairly reflecting reality? Are you being fair to the subjects in the photo?
If you are a professional photo editor, the answer to all of the questions should be yes.
Ten tips to improve your news photography from a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
Posted: April 22, 2015 Filed under: Global Business Journalism, Journalism Training, Rick's Rules, Top Ten | Tags: Burkina Faso, child labor, Data Journalism, eBook, Eiffel Tower, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Gaelle Patricia Chekma, Global Business Journalism, gold mining, Journalism Training, Larry C. Price, Larry Price, Matt Haldane, multimedia journalism, Paris, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philippines, photo composition, photo tips, photography, Pulitzer Center, Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, Pulitzer Prize, Tarnished, Top Ten, Tsinghua University Leave a comment
Larry Price spoke to Global Business Journalism Program students on April 21. (Photo by Gaelle Patricia Chekma)
Every year, the Pulitzer Prizes celebrate some of the world’s best journalism. Just hours after the 2015 Pulitzer winners were announced, my Global Business Journalism Program was fortunate to play host to a two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for photography. Larry C. Price, a University of Texas graduate who won the Pulitzer while working for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Philadelphia Inquirer, dazzled my Multimedia Reporting and Data Journalism students with tales from his latest project, a multi-year investigation into the use of child labor in gold mining. His work — entitled “Tarnished” — was published in eBook form by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.
Here are ten tips I culled from Larry’s lectures and the subsequent Q-and-A period. They are not a definitive list of “ten top tips.” They are just a collection of tips that I hope will be useful as you attempt to improve your photographic skills.
One of the many vivid photos from “Tarnished.” This is from Larry Price’s trip to a gold mining area of Burkina Faso.
1. Always remember that you’re a storyteller.
Whatever publishing platform you’re on, and whatever visual medium you’re using, journalism is always about one thing. “It’s all about the stories,” Larry says. “Stories are as old as language. They’re everywhere. And journalism tells them.”
2. Look for something new — or a new take on an old image.
“Find something that hasn’t been done,” Larry says. “Or find a different spin on it.”
He says colleagues have sometimes discouraged him from shooting certain images, saying, “it’s been done.”
“My response is, ‘I haven’t done it,'” he says. “If somebody’s told the story, tell it differently.”
His example: a recent trip to Paris and a photo shoot at the Eiffel Tower.
The eBook “Tarnished” is available online from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.
3. Get up early. Stay late.
Larry doesn’t use artificial lighting. As a result, he is looking for the best natural light available. “If you want your multimedia productions to look good, shoot them early in the morning or a few minutes before sunset,” he says.
That means long days of work and short nights of sleep.
4. Get close.
Every photographer has her or his own signature. For Larry, it’s close-ups. “I love tight facial portraits,” he said. “Force yourself to get close.”
Another favorite subject for his close-ups: “Hands and feet. That’s what it’s all about.”
5. Get personal.
To make a subject comfortable with you — especially if you are going to shove your camera into their face — is to develop a personal relationship with them. “I spend a lot of time getting rapport established before I take out a camera,” Larry says. “I develop that rapport so it doesn’t get uncomfortable to your subject.”
Of course, you can’t always do this when news is breaking, but it can help improve your image if you have a bit of time to prepare.
6. Keep shooting.
“When I’m in the field, it’s constant activity,” Larry says. “Digital allows you to shoot, review, delete a lot.” Don’t let your guard down when you’re on duty: You never know when the next great photo opportunity might come. “You can’t ever relax,” he says. “It’s a never-ending cycle of feeling guilty.”
On his most recent trip to Burkina Faso, Larry returned with 37,000 frames. “I always have a lot of failures,” he notes. “I shoot a lot of pictures.”
7. Minimize your vertical shots.
Horizontal photographs work best on digital platforms, whether that’s a mobile device or a computer. And if you’re taking video, make sure it’s horizontal. “Never shoot vertical video,” warns Larry. “It’s useless. Half your space is wasted.” He rarely takes vertical stills, except for portraits. But he likes the square format popularized by Instagram. “Square is a very good portrait format — a little more artsy,” he says.
8. Stay natural.
Great photographers don’t cheat with editing programs that alter reality. “I don’t do a lot of Photoshop with my pictures,” he said. “I don’t exaggerate the colors or anything.”
9. Take good notes.
You need to have the spelling of names, correct ages and the locations of cities or villages. Larry always uses two notebooks. He also records the GPS coordinates of everything.
10. One old-fashioned photo composition rule.
“Don’t ever put people in the middle of the frame,” he says.
Matt Haldane has a front row seat for Larry Price’s lecture at Tsinghua.
Professor Dunham’s Ten Commandments for journalism ethics in a multimedia world
Posted: April 11, 2014 Filed under: Dunham's Discourses, Journalism Training, Rick's Rules | Tags: BusinessWeek, ethics, journalism ethics, Journalism Training, Multimedia Business Journalism, National Public Radio, Pew Research Center, plagiarism, Society of Professional Journalists, Ten Commandments, TMZ, Tsinghua University 3 Comments
In the classroom at Tsinghua. (Photo by Zhang Sihan)
Journalism ethics are universal. But some ethical issues take on an added dimension on multimedia platforms.
After spending nearly two decades in digital journalism — writing an online column for BusinessWeek, creating two blogs and teaching multimedia journalism — I have boiled down my advice for my Tsinghua University Global Business Journalism students to ten commandments. Here they are:
•1. Thou shalt not steal
- Don’t lift other people’s posts. Or quotations. Or photographs.
- Intellectual property is intellectual property. If you don’t have the right to reproduce a photo or an article – even with attribution – don’t do it!
- Make sure to properly attribute any quotation you pull from another source. Every single time!
- If the original published source of your item turns out to be incorrect, you can be held liable for civil penalties in courts of law if you republish the falsehood.
•2. Thou shalt get it right.
- 24/7 deadlines are no excuse to get it wrong.
- Carefully attribute all facts you cannot confirm.
- Just because somebody else published it on the Internet or sent it out by social media doesn’t make it true.
- Just because somebody told you something doesn’t make it true. As the old journalism saying goes, even if your mother told you, check it out.
- Better to wait a few minutes to confirm or disprove a post than to get it wrong, wrong, wrong.
- As the Pew Research Journalism Project wrote: “Even in a world of expanding voices, accuracy is the foundation upon which everything else is built.”
•3. Thou shalt repent with speed and sincerity.
- If you get something wrong, or link to another source who got it wrong, make sure you correct the mistake. Pronto. Your credibility is on the line.
- Make sure to send corrections to your followers via social media. Falsehoods can go viral and it’s very hard to reel them back in.
- If you made a mistake and others linked to your post, inform them of your mistake. Pronto.
- Apologize.
- Learn from your mistake.
- Because of the instantaneous nature of digital communication, correcting errors is more important – and difficult — than ever.
•4. Thou shalt avoid gratuitous personal attacks.
- Multimedia journalism provides you a basketful of communications options. Don’t use them to be childish, petulant or rude.
- The same rules of fair play apply online as apply in traditional media.
- Don’t mistake “snark” and “attitude” for wit and cleverness.
•5. Thou shalt be fair and balanced.
- It’s not a partisan slogan. It’s our goal as journalists.
- Fairness should never be sacrificed at the altar of an artificial deadline.
- Efforts should be made to contact public figures referred to or criticized in multimedia reports.
- Avoid sensationalism or distortion that is designed to win you “clicks” or “page views.”
- A few tips from the Society of Professional Journalists:
- “Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.”
- “Never distort the content of news photos or video.”
•6. Thou shalt not use unnamed sources to attack others.
- It’s a sure sign of a journalism amateur or poseur.
- People have a right to know who your sources are, with rare exceptions.
- People have a right to know your sources’ motives.
- If someone is too cowardly to attach their name to an attack quote, it tells you something about the person.
- As SPJ writes, “The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources’ reliability.”
•7. Thou shalt live in a glass house.
- Don’t do anything you would criticize someone else for doing.
- Journalists are public figures. Hypocrisy is news, whether the hypocrite is a politician or a reporter.
- From National Public Radio’s Ethics Handbook: •“We hold those who serve and influence the public to a high standard when we report about their actions. We must ask no less of ourselves.”
•8. Thou shalt never give false witness about who you are.
- It is always unethical to pose as someone else to collect information for stories.
- You should identify who you are and for whom you work.
- You should never identify yourself simply as a “citizen,” a “constituent” or a “consumer.”
9. Thou shalt not pay sources for information.
- Or interviews.
- It’s unethical. It separates infotainment sites from journalism sites. Let TMZ.com get the paid-for celebrity scandal scoop. Better to keep your soul.
•10. Thou shalt not be paid off.
- Don’t take money to post, publish or air something.
- Don’t show favoritism toward sponsors, advertisers or donors.
- Disclose any conflicts of interest you or your publication may have.
- Transparency allows your audience to weigh your credibility.
As SPJ’s code of ethics declares, “Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility.”
We owe it to the public. And ourselves.
Rick’s Rules: Top ten tips for effective interviewing
Posted: September 15, 2013 Filed under: Journalism Training, Rick's Rules, Top Ten | Tags: George Clooney, Interviewing skills, Interviewing techniques, Interviews, Journalism Training, National Press Club, Rick's Rules, Top Ten 2 Comments
I continue today with another edition of Rick’s Rules, my lists of professional development suggestions for journalism students and veteran journalists alike.
Feel free to email me with suggestions for future Rick’s Rules posts.
TOP TEN TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWING
1. Prepare, prepare, prepare.
There is no substitute for adequate preparation — and no excuse for “winging it” in an interview. You should become an expert on the interview subject and the subject matter. If you show that you know your stuff, you are more likely to gain the respect and confidence of the interviewee.
2. Choreograph the interview in advance.
Plan out what you hope to accomplish and the series of questions that will get you from Point A to Point Z. Also plan out what you will do if the interviewee tries to hijack the interview. (See below.)
3. Listen.
A major mistake made by reporters is that they don’t pay attention to what the interviewee is saying; they just wait to ask the next question on their list. It’s very, very important to listen attentively. Your interview subject may tell you something that leads to a valuable new avenue of questioning.
4. Follow up.
Persistence usually pays off. If somebody tries to evade your question, try again. Depending on the situation, you can decide whether to rephrase the question or simply tell them that they haven’t answered the question. If your interview subject is evading the question, you want to let them know that you know that they aren’t answering.
5. Word your questions carefully.
You don’t want a “yes” or “no” answer, especially for audio or video. Ask a question in a manner designed to elicit a descriptive answer. It is embarrassing when you look at your notebook after an interview and you see that the answer you wrote down was “no” rather than “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
6. Know when to be the tiger and when to be the fox.
It’s important to gauge the personality of your interview subject and know when to be aggressive, when to be empathetic and when to admit your ignorance. Doing the right thing at the right time can pay off — big time. Doing the wrong thing can ruin an interview.
6. Don’t assume anything.
Ask Ms. Smith how to spell her name. It might be “Smythe.” Ask for job titles and spellings of home towns, spouses and employers’ names (if you are not certain). When possible, it’s good to double-check via a Google search to confirm on their personal or business web sites.
7. Know your subject material and don’t fake it.
You are supposed to be prepared. Remember that. But if you don’t know something, admit it. Don’t say that you’ve read a book — or a report, or an article — if you haven’t. If the interview subject believes you are fudging, it harms your credibility.
8. Don’t let the interview get hijacked.
When your interviewee says “that’s a good question, but the important point is….,” he or she is trying to change the subject and deliver a pre-packaged spin. Make sure to return as soon as possible to the questions you want to ask.
9. Don’t talk too much.
If you have a 15-minute interview, you want almost all of it to come from the mouth of your interview subject. Don’t go off on tangents or monologues. Don’t engage in too much chit chat before you get to your questions, unless you have plenty of time for the interview.
10. Appearances matter.
Look and sound professional. Don’t dress inappropriately or chew gum. Don’t smell of smoke or alcohol. It may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many reporters mess up their interview before uttering their first word.
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