The ‘blue shirt’ won. Is that the best we can do?
Local names and faces are the lifeblood of community newspaper content.
There’s no better way to spotlight your readers than through photos. After all, “a...
The Art of the Interview: How to get the goods during COVID-19
The basis for almost all great journalism is the interview, the act of obtaining information from a source. With less in-person meetings...
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.
Listening to the voices in your head
Bart Pfankuch is an investigative reporter for South Dakota News Watch. Write to him at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.
All hail the hard-news lead
We all love a good yarn, a tale told with colorful detail and interesting characters who face challenges and change over time.
For years, both...
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...
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...
Producing relevant content requires knowing your community
Editors are regularly challenged: What mix of stories and photos will collectively make this edition a “must see” for readers and advertisers? There is...
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...
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...