Integrity

Although integrity is an essential legacy skill, some could argue that it is even more important in the digital era. Just like in the past, a journalist is only as good as his sources. Especially when reporting sensitive or high-profile stories, journalists must earn the trust of potential sources. No one will be willing to speak with a reporter—much less reveal secret or potentially damaging information—unless they trust that reporter. A reporter must prove himself trustworthy by keeping his word (for instance, not revealing a source, as promised), reporting fairly, and not allowing cowardice or the pursuit of personal gain to alter the outcome of his reporting. A reporter (particularly a reporter following a beat) relies heavily on sources for information he would not be able to learn through other channels. A good source is like a good relationship. The more a reporter invests in the relationship by keeping his word and acting ethically, the more likely the source will be to reveal even more sensitive information as it becomes available. If a reporter develops a good reputation with a source, other sources are likely to trust the reporter with whatever sensitive information they may want to convey. In some cases, for instance, in which there are serious problems within an institution, a single reporter who has built trust within an organization may find himself in a position to break a major news story about a corrupt official or other hidden problem with great potential to impact the public.

In the online world, reputation is even more important because with increasing numbers of media platforms and people with access to information, more information about people is available to the public than ever before. Not only does the general public now have more access to information about each other, but many people post information about themselves online. This means a journalist’s professional reputation can be—and has been—ruined with the click of a “send” button.

In summer 2014, CNN correspondent Diana Magnay was removed from her reporting of Israeli–Palestinian conflict in Gaza after she fired off an angry tweet after being threatened by Israelis. She tweeted: “Israelis on hill above Sderot cheer as bombs land on #gaza; threaten to ‘destroy our car if I say a word wrong.’ Scum.” The tweet was quickly deleted, but the damage was done. It had been retweeted more than 200 times.¹

The widespread use of digital—and particularly mobile—technology has rendered mistakes journalists have always made more clearly and widely apparent. Although this example shows poor professional judgment on social media, a far more common problem for journalists is showing poor personal judgment on social media by posting, for instance, bigoted comments or drunken selfies. Because our digital lives are so much more accessible than our analog lives were, journalists in particular have to work hard to personify integrity and credibility across all media.

While in years past objectivity was essential to a journalist’s credibility, there is now more room for opinion even among hard news and investigative reporters. As the opinion-heavy Internet has influenced all aspects of life in the developed world, news journalism has become less rigid about its complete objectivity dictum.

Interactive, on-demand news has allowed consumers greater access to the thoughts and opinions of journalists than they had in the days of mass media dominance. For some prominent journalists, that has come to mean more scrutiny and accountability to their audiences. Regardless of what audiences value most in journalists, it is clear that they expect those who bring them news and information to be honest and open with them. Transparency is a must. That said, objectivity—or the appearance of objectivity—remains a key requirement of journalists at many of the largest mainstream news organizations, CNN among them.

Accuracy

Accuracy is a legacy skill for journalists who now have more fact-checking tools to draw upon than ever before but also more erroneous or deliberately misleading information to assess across various media. While in the past some news organizations had fact-checking staffs, interns or other resources to support their work, today’s lean budgets often mean that reporters are left to check their own facts. As anyone who has checked facts in their own stories knows, it’s difficult to find errors in a story you have read countless times. If reporters are left to check their own facts, there will likely be errors. Another threat to accuracy in the digital era comes from the 24/7 news cycle and the need to instantly report breaking news. Reports made from the field on mobile devices will inevitably contain errors. Even if errors are eventually corrected, sometimes, as was the case with CNN correspondent Diana Magnay, the correction comes too late.

How do journalists working in the field or without reliable access to editors to check their work ensure accuracy in their reporting? For starters, they have to balance the urgency to report the story quickly with the need to get the story right. Without the luxury of staff, they need to find new ways to check their own reporting. Documenting facts in multiple places, via various media, will help reduce the chance of error. For instance, when conducting recorded interviews it is good practice to have subjects say and spell their name into a digital voice recorder or on video. Ask them for a card if they have one. Get contact information to follow up if you can. This is much easier than it used to be. Instead of stopping to write down a subject’s name, shoot a quick video on your smartphone in which they identify themselves and spell their name. A smartphone is also great for taking quick photos of signs and documents on the fly instead of copying their contents with pen and paper. Take as many reference photos and videos as you can when reporting a story. These will help improve your memory of the scene and report on what happened there with a level of accuracy and detail exclusively print reporters never enjoyed.

Analytical skills

While it is now more important than ever for journalists to have numerical skills, analysis has always been a key component of the journalist’s job. Today, like before, journalists need to be able to analyze a situation quickly, understand its implications, and determine what their audiences need to know about it. While these basic analytical challenges remain largely unchanged today, journalists now face infinitely more choices when it comes to both analyzing and reporting facts. One technique that has always helped reporters understand the true facts of the situation (instead of being swayed by the compelling appeals of biased participants) is determining the interests and motivations of each player in a story. As a reporter, you want to not only analyze the motivations of the central players in a political drama, for example, but you also want to ask yourself what has motivated a particular source to speak out, paying close attention to what that source may have to lose or gain from speaking to a reporter.

Analysis may also be more challenging for some reporters these days because many work alone and fewer have newsroom peers to help vet their ideas. Reporters covering in-depth stories less often return to crowded news-rooms rich with thoughts and ideas for the best way to tell the story—the most compelling lead, the most relevant angle, the most illustrative facts and quotes. Lacking other journalists to talk with, reporters may want to discuss their stories with a trusted friend who can relate to the reporter’s target audience.

Written and Oral Communication

Even though the demand for news as it breaks has reduced the average length of reported stories, and most who get their news from print want the most complete news in the smallest number of words, written and oral communication skills remain essential for every journalist. In fact, as Twitter has proved, writing a clear, concise, accurate story with a limited word count is much more challenging than covering all the relevant facts in a long feature. Because more people are now reading news on the small screens of mobile devices, writing concisely is an essential skill, especially as competition for readers’ attention becomes more fierce, and news consumers demand the greatest value for their limited time.

Oral communication skills remain essential for any journalist, in all aspects of their career. Journalists need to know how to effectively communicate with sources and others with whom they work, especially in the field, where the demands of covering breaking news stories can lead to confusion or worse. The scene of a breaking news story can be dangerous. Clear, concise oral communication not only saves time; in a conflict situation, it could also save lives. With increasing numbers of independent journalists recording video reports from the field, an ability to quickly and clearly articulate the facts of a story will make the difference between an amateur video and a professional news report.

Sound judgment

Sound judgment has always been a requirement for journalists. This is one aspect of the reporter’s job that has actually become easier in the digital age. Just as a reporter’s reputation can be either damaged or bolstered by information published about her online, sources and other people relevant to a story can more easily be checked on the Web. But beyond just checking an individual’s reputation, sound judgment means a reporter has the ability to assess the veracity of a story based on the logic of the facts and the behavior of those presenting information as facts.

There’s an old expression in journalism: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” It’s a funny saying, but it’s an important reminder for journalists, regardless of their experience. No one should assume a story is true just because of the circumstances.

One might be tempted not to check out a death announcement. After all, why would someone request an obituary for someone still alive? Reporter Greg Toppo learned exactly why when he almost published a hoax obituary that had been part of a revenge plot by a jilted girlfriend. In his introduction to the tale, Poynter.org’s Chip Scanlan wrote, “Careful journalism requires a healthy dose of skepticism.”² That has always been true. Without a healthy dose of skepticism, journalists risk embarrassment or worse by publishing false information. Journalists should keep in mind that if a story is hard to believe, or if an inner voice suggests something just isn’t quite right, they need to check their facts—especially unverified facts in quotations. Just because someone says something doesn’t mean it’s true.

Ability to Tell a Meaningful Story

Storytelling, or building a narrative arc, is covered in more detail in another chapter. Being able to tell a good story may sound obvious, but it’s not a skill all journalists have. In fact, particularly as news consumers become more used to receiving updates in very short blocks of type, the need for a strong narrative arc to lead the reader through a story’s main ideas can easily get lost. Even though readers these days are less accustomed to longer stories that are well developed, they still look for narratives in everything they do read, listen to or view. A story doesn’t have to be long—or even written—to follow a complete arc. Slideshows and videos should have narrative arcs. Even a well-framed photo can tell a story.

What is a narrative arc or thread, and how does it apply to journalism? First of all it’s important to keep in mind that storytelling doesn’t refer only to stories in the fictional sense. Fictional or non-fictional, stories use narrative techniques to engage readers (or listeners or viewers) and allow them to become invested in them just as they might become invested in a fictional story. At its most basic level, a story shows the world from a human angle. We discuss storytelling in more detail in another chapter, but at its most basic, telling a story is simply about answering the elementary questions every journalist tries to answer: who, what, when, where, why, and sometimes how. In other words, a story has to mean something. It has to prompt a feeling or reaction in the reader. It has to move the reader (or viewer or listener) to some kind of action or thought. This may sound more complicated than it really is. Most simply, telling a story is about making people care, taking the audience on a journey, no matter how small. A story without a narrative is just a collection of facts.

Ability to Make Logical Connections

A skilled journalist can make connections between the subject matter of an interview or a story she’s reporting and other people or significant events. People pursue careers in journalism for a reason. They tend to be inquisitive, curious, and observant. These are natural qualities that aid in making important connections. Being able to make connections is a critical skill for investigative journalism. Without a clear understanding of cause and effect, and how things fit together, it is difficult to conceive potential story angles or appropriate avenues to pursue when investigating a story. The ability to make connections also helps a journalist understand sources’ motivations, which can aid reporters in answering cause-and-effect questions.

For example, when a businessman suddenly starts making large donations to local political campaigns, a skilled reporter will start asking the kinds of questions that will lead to investigations, answers, and ultimately the compelling stories behind the controversy. Making connections begins with an inquiry. For instance: Why has a local luxury auto dealer suddenly become so politically active? An inquisitive reporter will start checking campaign records for details about his campaign donations, including how much he gave to whom. The reporter may first investigate whether any pending or proposed legislation could have an impact on the dealer or his business. Does a particular lawmaker’s proposal threaten his livelihood, or does another lawmaker’s proposal stand to benefit the dealer? If these simple inquiries don’t yield answers, the reporter may then try to schedule interviews with the dealer, his friends, associates or employees to learn more about his political and financial interests, and specifically why he made the campaign contributions. It can be a slow (but in some cases quick) process of thoughtful, logical questioning that, when done well, can lead to major investigative revelations and groundbreaking stories. Although not all journalists are expected to be—or even want to be—investigative reporters, an ability to see the “big picture” and help readers understand why some things that seem to defy clear logic actually happen will help any journalist develop a reputation for insightful reporting.

Research and investigation

The ability to research and investigate a story has always been essential for journalists. The availability of digital archives and databases has made the research process easier in many ways. Simple investigations are easier now thanks to the Internet, although the Internet also allows reporters to cut corners while opening the door to more potential inaccuracies or errors in judgment. With much more information of all kinds now available to everyone with a reliable Internet connection, and nearly the same democratic access to Web-based publishing tools, journalists, like their audiences, must work harder to determine the veracity of the information they find online, as well as the sources who provided the information. Because of the sheer volume of information now available to the general public online, reporters face a higher bar for accuracy and for making meaning. To prove their own necessity, they must add value to the information they relay to their audiences by ensuring an accurate report that they have verified as well as the story around the information that makes it relevant to readers, listeners, and viewers. In other words it is not good enough for a reporter to simply distribute what has already been distributed. She must also vet it and contextualize it to maximize its meaning and relevance to her audiences.

Writing

Writing ability is such an obvious requirement for journalists it almost defies mentioning. Journalists have always been required to concisely convey facts in writing. Writing clearly and concisely has never been more important than it is today, with limited character counts across social media and the fact that people increasingly get their news on their phones and on other mobile devices with smaller screens. Being able to write simple declarative sentences in subject–verb–object order may sound simple, but it takes some practice. There is a tendency—especially in social media—for people to write conversationally. While the writing style across social media is decidedly casual, journalists must take care to ensure that their writing, while fitting the conventions of social media, is also clear and does not suggest bias. The latter standard can be particularly difficult to uphold considering the highly opinionated nature of social media in general.

Journalists should use social media for breaking news coverage and updates. Their writing should be short and to the point, reporting only facts, not opinions. Blog entries should also be short. Not even those reading on lap-tops or other larger screens want to scroll through large blocks of text. Feature stories and other long-form pieces also require compression. As any reader will tell you, regardless of the genre, the best stories are those that say the most with the smallest number of words. When it comes to storytelling, less is more. A story that is powerful at 500 words won’t get any better at 1,000. Make every word count, and delete any unnecessary words. Your stories will be stronger for it.

Editing

It’s only logical to discuss editing after writing. Journalists—especially in these days of small staffs—need to be good editors, particularly of themselves. Although writers should always ask another person (if an editor is not available) to read their writing before they publish it, they should also be prepared to edit their own writing if necessary. While it may not be possible to find an editor for breaking news, writers should try to take at least a short break after writing and before editing so they can return to the work with “fresh eyes” that will allow them to see problems they might not be able to catch when immersed in a story.

Basic photo manipulation

Contemporary journalists don’t need to be expert at Photoshop, but they do need basic photo editing skills. Basic photo editors are built into much of the software journalists use frequently, making it easier than ever to distribute and share high-quality images. When sending images through social media, Instagram, as its name suggests, is a great tool for making quick edits that can dramatically improve or add interest to your images. Instagram is made for sharing photos via smartphones or mobile devices. Sharing photos taken by digital cameras (like DSLRs) or other devices that can’t run the Instagram app is more complicated (and not very “insta”), but it is still possible. The process can involve downloading photos from a camera to a computer, then emailing the photos to yourself, and opening the photos on your phone where you can access your saved photos for sharing. Like a lot of basic photo editors these days, Instagram allows users to alter their images by applying filters, adjusting brightness and orientation, cropping, and adding other effects. Such basic tools are also available in photo storage archiving software such as iPhoto, which comes installed on new Macintosh computers. Given that most images that run online these days are small and need not be of particularly high quality, journalists don’t have to do much to make an image look good online. Cropping tightly around the subject helps—especially if the image will run small. Keeping the images bright and simple with clean backgrounds also helps. On the Web, small images with busy backgrounds are difficult to decipher. Abstract, involved, or complex images that do not immediately convey the intended idea should not be used. Like with writing online, images online need to be simple, clear, and quickly understood. If viewers are confused by an image, they are likely to stop reading.

Basic Web skills

Journalists need fewer Web skills than they used to. Because the available free tools are so much more self-explanatory these days than in years past, journalists need less training and fewer specialized skills to create a basic website. While learning some HTML and basic coding is a fine idea, these days a journalist can create a professional-quality website on her own with little to no coding abilities at all. The visual (not HTML) editors that are built into software like WordPress, Tumblr or Blogger have made creating Web pages and posts almost as easy as creating a Word document. Most of the big blogging tools also have extensive support communities that can provide quick answers to those who get stuck anywhere along the way. Unlike the old days before ready-made themes and templates, creating a professional-looking website today is almost as easy as cutting and pasting.

Knowing a little HTML may be a good idea for troubleshooting. Sometimes, for instance, spacing, or type placement may resist editing on a Web page. When simple edits don’t seem to do what they are supposed to do, it can be helpful to view the code to see if some command is dictating that all text is centered or bolded. With a basic knowledge of how HTML works, you may be able to quickly remove erroneous code.

Figure 4.2 A few lines of HTML source code. AzaToth / Wikimedia Commons.

Basic audio recording and editing

Figure 4.3 A Zoom recorder will make high-quality digital audio recordings. Some models can be mounted to booms or DSLR cameras for video production. Photo by Ludovic Péron / Wikimedia Commons.

Although these days journalists often record audio along with their video, audio clips, podcasts, and even Internet radio remain great options for broadcast journalists and those who favor long-form storytelling. Unlike video, which should be no longer than a few minutes (and ideally less than two), stand-alone audio can run longer since listeners can be mobile. Just like traditional broadcast radio, recorded podcasts and streaming audio content can be played while driving, running, exercising or working. Like with every other technology skill set discussed so far, there are countless tools now available for recording high-quality audio. Even so, it is essential to keep in mind that audiences will tolerate low-quality video more easily than they will tolerate low-quality, scratchy or staticky audio.

In general, this means that you don’t want to use video equipment to record audio. The built-in microphones on even pro-grade video cameras should not be used to record primary audio. If you are recording in the field, a cinema-quality portable digital audio recorder can be purchased for less than $100. (Search for “Zoom” digital recorders.) If you are recording at length—a podcast, for example—you may want to buy a professional recording studio setup with fixed microphones (for both the host and any guests) that you install in a small space lined with plenty of acoustic foam to absorb echo and improve the sound quality. However, podcasts are now often recorded from a Skype session and edited using a simple program such as Apple’s Garage Band or the free, open-source Audacity. Even if you aren’t able to invest in expensive microphones for your podcast, at the very least you want to record using USB headsets, which should produce decent sound. Always avoid using the built-in microphone and speakers on your computer because their quality is comparatively low, and recording without a headset can create echoes and feedback that may be impossible to fix in the edit. As with any time you record audio or video, make sure to find a quiet place without interruptions, including barking dogs, playing children or even the neighborhood ice cream truck. And don’t forget to silence your cell phone.

Basic video recording and editing

For most journalists these days, video equipment is easier to access than audio equipment. This is partly because most of us now have a choice of personal mobile devices that record video. These can include our smartphones, tablets, computers, DSLR cameras, and video cameras. The average price points on this equipment have decreased dramatically in recent years, and it is now possible to get very high-quality equipment for a minimal investment.

If you will be using video in your reporting (and you should be), buy the best camera you can given your budget, although if you are new to video, you may want to start with a simpler, lower-end camera (or even an iPhone) before upgrading to a professional or “prosumer” camera. With proper lighting, the iPhone can produce surprisingly attractive video, and there are many attachments, including lenses and microphones, that can help improve the captured image. When you are ready to upgrade to a professional-quality video camera, keep in mind that you’ll be able to afford a better model if you buy used. Of course there are risks involved in buying used equipment from unknown sellers. However, B&H Photo in New York has an extensive online catalog of both new and used equipment. They rank their equipment according to condition, and allow for returns within a certain timeframe. B&H Photo has an excellent, well-deserved reputation. Every piece of used equipment the author has purchased through their website has arrived quickly and in better-than-advertised condition.

Shooting is only half the story. Everyone who shoots also needs to be able to do simple editing. There are several powerful tools now available for editing video, from higher-cost programs like Avid’s Media Composer, Adobe’s Premiere Pro to Apple’s somewhat less expensive (but just as good) Final Cut Pro, to dozens of free or nearly free options such as Apple’s iMovie or Windows’ Movie Maker. Most video editing tools these days utilize the same basic functions, varying mostly in terms of how many additional features each offers. Not every journalist these days must be a highly skilled video editor; however, a reasonable expectation is that journalists now must know how to shoot stable, well-lit video (ideally with a tripod), cut that video into clips of a few seconds each, create effective transitions between clips that, together, create a logical narrative, and add music and voiceover. Of course there is much more to editing quality video, but consider these minimum expectations. When reporters have finished editing their short videos, they need to find the best way to share them with their audiences through a video streaming service such a YouTube or Vimeo. Since the interfaces of so many of these tools are so similar, and any number of them can be used with much success, there is no need to focus specifically on just one in this space. After all, tools are just tools. Like with all the skills today’s journalists are expected to have, which tools they choose to do the work is much less important than getting the work done. There are industry standards, they change and evolve, but the bottom line is that the tools are getting better all the time. Whichever you choose to use, you will not go wrong.

Skills

Analysis

Written and oral communication

Sound judgment

Storytelling

Research and investigation

Writing

Editing

Basic photo manipulation

Basic Web skills

Basic audio recording and editing

Basic video recording and editing

Social media mastery.

Tools

Laptop or desktop computer, or Internet-connected mobile device

Digital audio recorder

Digital still camera or smartphone

Digital video camera or smartphone

Basic photo editor

Basic video editor

A content management system (CMS) for creating websites or blogs

Social media platforms.

Sites

Audacity.sourceforge.net/: Download page for Audacity’s free open-source audio editing software.

Bhphotovideo.com: Main website for B&H Photo in New York, an excellent resource for new and used media and recording equipment.

Codeacademy.com: An interactive site for learning code.

Lynda.com: A paid subscription site with a vast selection of video tutorials on software, hardware, and various media skills and techniques.

W3schools.com: A site to guide readers in learning code. Includes resources for learning HTML, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and other languages.

Application

1. Thoroughly fact-check both a news story written by another journalism student and a story you wrote. Start by printing out the stories and underlining or highlighting every fact, spelling, and number in each. In the margin of each story, either correct any mistakes or make a check mark to show that the highlighted information is correct. Also note the reliable sources you used to check all highlighted information. When you are finished checking both stories, compare the number and variety of corrections made to each piece and consider whether any significant differences could be attributed to the fact that you were “closer” to the story you wrote than you were to the other story.
2. Interview a reporter about an investigative news story they wrote or produced. Ask the reporter to explain their work from the beginning of the investigation to the end, paying particular attention to how they analyzed the facts of the story and made connections among facts that helped advance their investigation. Create a story based on your interview using appropriate media, and pitch the story to a student publication or other relevant publication.
3. Swap story drafts with a classmate, and edit each other’s work with compression and clarity in mind. Eliminate any unnecessary words or sentences, and share your edits with the writer.
4. Choose a breaking news story from Google or another news site. Create a plan for developing an online multimedia website that expands on the story using the appropriate mix of available media. (See the “Skills” list in the Journalist’s Toolkit section.) Create a dummy layout for the home page and any additional pages, including summaries of each section. In no more than 500 words, explain why you chose to portray certain parts of the story using specific tools and media.
5. Produce a follow-up to your breaking news story that summarizes the news, then provides analysis of what happened as well as implications for your audience. Use an appropriate combination of media to present both highlights of the breaking news event you covered earlier as well as after-the-fact analysis. Pitch the story to a student publication or other relevant publication.

Review Questions

1. What are the minimum essential skills journalists need today?
2. How can journalists anticipate and acquire the skills they will need in the future?
3. What aspects of a journalist’s writing, research, and investigation skills are specifically related to technology?
4. Why do the demands of new technology require journalists to be better editors—particularly of themselves?
5. List five entrepreneurial journalism skills you need now, and five skills you anticipate needing in the next five years. Explain why each skill is essential.
6. What does the phrase “tools are tools” in respect to journalism mean to you?