Five key focus points on the path to a great story
Bart Pfankuch is an investigative reporter for South Dakota News Watch. Write to him at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.
Anyone who
has...
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...
What’s happened to the nuts and bolts of public safety reporting?
Crime and public safety are garnering more headlines across the country. Law enforcement and racial disparities in the criminal justice system are under increasing...
A writing journey we’ll take together
Bart Pfankuch
Better Writing
with Bart
Jim Stasiowski, a veteran writing coach whose superb writing advice appeared in the Bulletin for many years, has retired.
Beginning with this...
About three deaths in August
Jim Stasiowski
Writing
Writing coach
Jim Stasiowski
welcomes your
questions
or comments.
Call him at
(775) 354-2872
or write to:
2499
Ivory Ann Drive
Sparks, Nev. 89436.Jerry Lewis made me laugh, especially when I was...
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...
Six essential steps to trend reporting
A major goal of news reporting is to keep readers abridged of things, so it makes sense that uncovering and understanding trends should be...
Don’t let pursuit of ‘shiny things’ diminish reporting
All journalists can look back decades or even just a few months to see examples of the “shiny things” that distract us from our...
Pandemic no excuse for lazy reporting
Editors and reporters are facing some of their biggest challenges in gathering news during the pandemic. Access to everyday sources is increasingly...
If one tip can improve your work, it would be…this one!
Bart Pfankuch is an investigative reporter for South Dakota News Watch. Write to him at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.