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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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
Execute your strength: Put names and faces behind the stories
Nothing is more satisfying than looking at your product – whether it’s the print or digital edition – and smiling in approval,...
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...
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...
Deadline? What deadline? My story is already filed!
Doesn’t every
journalist want to wrap up the workday and be home with their kids or their...