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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...