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...

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...

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...
Jim Stasiowski, writing coach

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...

Take steps now to report on 2024 local government budgets

We’re more than halfway into 2023, and many local governments are well involved in exploring 2024 budgets. Are your newsrooms aware of the process?...

Keep eye out for 11th-hour election volleys

Election Day is only weeks away. The hyper-partisanship of races at all levels – from local to state to federal – demands that editors...
Jim Stasiowski, writing coach

A ‘meticulous’ dissection of that word’s meaning

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, NV 89436.If I call...

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...

Be responsible in exercising rights to public information

A divorce is finalized, but it is not recorded in the newspaper until four months later. Someone appears in court for a domestic assault, but...