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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
A salute to those who wave the editorial banner
Last summer’s Grassroots Editor still sits in my stack of journalism publications. The edition announced the Golden Quill winners in annual competition...
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.
Initiate conversations with your readers
A reader questions your policy for reporting suicides. A retailer challenges your staff to produce timely and relevant business news. A reporter...