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

Grow your coverage of agriculture with these helpful tips

Depending on where you live and work as a journalist, there are two basic levels of importance when it comes to coverage of the...

Make it a mantra: ‘Get one more source’

Bart Pfankuch is an investigative reporter for South Dakota News Watch, online at sdnewswatch.org. Email him at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org

Digging deeper: How to find opportunities (and time) to go in-depth

Bart Pfankuch is the content director for South Dakota News Watch, an online public-service journalism group. He can be reached...

Scrutinize letters during election season

Campaigns are in full swing as Election Day nears. Editors should pay extra attention to letters that give a thumbs up or thumbs down...

Start planning now to produce year-end edition

The Hallmark Channel wrapped up its movie lineup for those who love to celebrate Christmas in July. With fall now upon us, it is...

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...

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...

Special projects energize staff, community

I fondly characterize newsrooms as organized chaos. That definition has aptly described operations for the past 18 months with the impact of COVID-19. The...

Enterprise reporting goes beyond the obvious

When it comes to interviewing reporter candidates, many editors want to see examples of so-called enterprise reporting. I just finished serving as a judge for...