Poynter. » How To’s

A journalist’s guide to using Tumblr

Taylor Miller Thomas — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:57:34 +0000

This morning I wrote about how some newsrooms use Tumblr, but getting to know the site can take awhile. So here’s a quick guide to using Tumblr, with Poynter’s Tumblr page as a reference.

This is the Tumblr Dashboard, … Read more

How some news orgs use Tumblr

Taylor Miller Thomas — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:57:30 +0000

What do you do with a blog service full of cat GIFs and memes? If you’re Yahoo, you buy it for $1.1 billion. If you’re a media outlet, you use Tumblr as an extension of your brand.

: Yahoo CEO

Writing and reporting advice from 4 of The Washington Post’s best

Roy Peter Clark — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:21:53 +0000

Last Saturday I had the honor of teaching at a public writing conference at The Washington Post. After I finished my part of the program, I spent the day listening carefully to four of the Post’s most accomplished writers … Read more

What writers see in life, language and literature

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:20:07 +0000

At the end of this essay, I will be asking for your help in writing a proposal for a new book: “What Writers See: In Life, Language, and Literature.”

What do I mean when I ask the question “What do … Read more

Don’t be an ‘idea killer’: 10 tips for cultivating creativity

Jill Geisler — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:01:01 +0000

Some of our best ideas come when we’re taking a break from concentration. At least, that’s what recent research says. Since the concept for this column coalesced while I was sweating my way through a Zumba class, I’m prepared to … Read more

How mentors can help accelerate journalism careers

Joe Grimm — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:11:32 +0000

Few successful journalists make it all on their own. Most have help from mentors and become mentors themselves.

During this week’s career chat, we’ll talk with Randall Yip, senior producer at KGO-TV in San Francisco. Yip and I are … Read more

How to keep a student news site updated with RebelMouse

Kelly Fincham — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:51:33 +0000

Preparing students for journalism careers in the 21st century requires that they learn to use systems that are new to many journalism faculty — a conclusion underscored by a 2012 report from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism’s Tow Center for … Read more

What news organizations are learning from their ebook efforts

Taylor Miller Thomas — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:39:21 +0000

News organizations have responded to changes in readers’ habits by moving beyond the newsstand and toward the bookshelf, zeroing in on ebooks as a new revenue source and a way to explore genres not typically found on front pages or … Read more

How some narratives can benefit from more translucence, less transparency

Roy Peter Clark — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:35:36 +0000

Transparency, transparency, transparency. Say it loud and there’s music playing. Say it soft and it’s almost like praying.

Transparency is the new pillar of responsible practice, inside and outside of journalism — including at Poynter. When it comes to reporting … Read more

Tips for investigating a story like Cleveland’s missing women

Al Tompkins — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:21:51 +0000

How do you dig up information in a story like the one unfolding in Cleveland when all you know is three women missing for nearly a decade suddenly escaped their captors? When the story broke, government offices were closed, the … Read more