Archive
14 Apr

Where’s the (freelance) sports coverage?

QUESTION: I am a sports columnist and member of the CAJ, my work has been published in smaller newspapers and online for the past three years. I am quite aware […]

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24 Nov

Covering bikers: dont flirt, avoid underlings and never, never touch the bikes

QUESTION: What advice do you have for reporters who cover dangerous figures (bikers, organized crime members) and want to keep their kneecaps right where they are? [Unlike most of our […]

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17 Nov

Stay clear of my camera

QUESTION: I’m a freelance photojournalist – I take photos of people out and about and on the town. Some of this I report to 24hrs news, the rest I put […]

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10 Nov

Is my editor making me a plagiarist?

QUESTION: I really need some advice. My editor removed quotation marks from a direct quote I took from an online statement (from a press conference) in an article and tried […]

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3 Nov

Know what your story is really about

QUESTION: I cover a lot of court. This week a case came up where a man pleaded guilty to contravening the national parks act by not having a business licence […]

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22 Sep

Always question sources’ motives

QUESTION: In All the President’s Men, I heard about the two-source rule on information that comes from an anonymous source. But I don’t hear about it much anymore and have […]

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15 Sep

Politics junkies in journalism?

QUESTION: I have always been a very large news and political junkie. So recently, when I decided to make a career change I enrolled in an intensive broadcast journalism program. […]

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30 Jun

The higher the stakes, the more verification is required

QUESTION: I know that I’m supposed to get outside verification for things told to me by anonymous sources. But how about named sources? When is a reporter expected to get […]

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26 May

Senior editors differ on value of j-school in mid-career

QUESTION: I’m 43 and for the past 13 years I have been working as a freelance photographer and writer. During that time I have published a strong portfolio of magazine […]

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22 May

There are no dull assignments, only dull stories

QUESTION: What advice do you have for making tired assignments like weather stories and pet shows interesting for readers and reporters?Answer by Tom Hawthorn The secret is to be curious even if […]

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