Execute your strength: Put names and faces behind the stories
Nothing is more satisfying than looking at your product – whether it’s the print or digital edition – and smiling in approval,...
Moving from routine to highly relevant: How to improve meeting coverage
This column is aimed at every single journalist working anywhere in the world now and in the future.
Resolve to be accessible, stay relevant
Surviving in today’s fractured media landscape depends on your ability to identify, collect and deliver the relevant community news. That job becomes more challenging...
Stories come to life when reporters find ‘real people’
Police, government officials and experts have a lot of knowledge and are easy go-to sources for reporters working in understaffed newsrooms with...
Robust public affairs coverage requires more than recording meetings
My formula for shaping newspaper content is straightforward: Present a blend of stories that people like to read and stories they should read. Under...
Objectivity: a noble idea that requires a process
Bart Pfankuch is the content director and an investigative reporter for South Dakota News Watch. Contact him at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org
Are you telling your own stories?
I circulated a column celebrating community newspapers earlier this year in recognition of Sunshine Week. Its publication prompted a few comments.
One reader, who hailed...
Solutions Journalism – Reporting on problems while seeking solutions
With a few simple questions and just a little extra effort, reporters and editors can quickly improve the quality and value of...
Carefully screen columns by public officials
How will the Legislature deal with a record budget surplus, and what will it mean for taxpayer pocketbooks? Are there implications for public safety...
Are you ready for the new year? Take inventory, prepare a calendar
It’s standard procedure at many newspapers to chronicle headlines in year-end editions. The continuing social and economic impact of COVID-19 is certain to capture...