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Best Practices: Reporting and Writing and Editing

Be a lifelong student, say the hard things and more practical tips for journalists

Here are five actionable takeaways from decades spent in the newsroom

February 17, 2026

‘As an editor, you have the opportunity to change people’s lives and careers.’

Veteran editor Tom Huang leads Poynter’s Edit to Elevate, a resource to move the early editor’s work from transactional to transformational

August 4, 2025

Sabrina Shihvazger

Reporters, stop with the double-barreled questions

Asking two questions at a time reduces your chances of getting either of them answered

July 15, 2025

‘I want to give early-career reporters the best shot at launching their careers.’

A Q&A with Poynter adjunct faculty Tom Huang about the course that unlocks the secrets reporters used to pick up in the newsroom

June 10, 2025

Sabrina Shihvazger

Poynter welcomes inaugural class for ‘Covering Child Welfare: A Journalist’s Guide to Impactful Reporting’

New program equips journalists to deepen community engagement through child welfare reporting

April 3, 2025

Shut Out: How the pandemic and polarization have had chilling effects on good journalism — and our conclusion

Part Four of a report from Poynter's ethics seminar examines effects of pandemic and polarization on journalists

May 2, 2024

Fernanda Camarena

Shut Out: A guide to help the owner — the public — have access to open records

Part Two of a report from a Poynter ethics symposium explores increasing public records denials and how journalists can push back

April 30, 2024

Fernanda Camarena

Shut Out: When sources won’t engage with journalists

Part One of a report from a Poynter ethics symposium explores dynamic of more sources refusing to engage with the press

April 29, 2024

Fernanda Camarena

The Poynter Institute and The Just Trust announce 2024 partnership to transform crime reporting

New grant from The Just Trust continues successful program that transforms news organizations’ crime reporting to focus on public safety

December 13, 2023

How to interview vulnerable sources without exploiting them

Public radio journalists share their advice for treating sources with care

August 22, 2023

Opinion | Trans and gender-fluid kids are under attack. How can we tell their stories without furthering harm?

There's no ‘one size’ answer, but offering anonymity and seeking diversity can help get real kids’ perspectives at a dangerous time

April 6, 2023

Rosary Beads and Sensible Shoes: How to help someone tell her story

The day after Sept. 11, 2001, I got to interview my cousin Theresa, who escaped from the 57th floor of Tower I after it was hit by the plane.

September 11, 2020

Roy Peter Clark

Breaking news best practices: Reaching and interviewing witnesses and victims of trauma

Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2015. Tracking down witnesses and victims of…

May 18, 2018

Why off-the-record is a trap reporters should avoid

Let’s talk about “off-the-record” — what it is, what it isn’t, why it’s a bad…

March 19, 2018

Indira A.R. Lakshmanan

Breaking news best practices: Reaching and interviewing witnesses and victims of trauma

Tracking down witnesses and victims of traumatic events is the work of journalism. We serve…

October 2, 2015

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