Journalist’s Trade

‘It is now possible for a person working on his or her own to make high-quality, intelligent and, most importantly, very inexpensive television.’

‘We did not want to produce an imitation of local TV news. We wanted to create something far less polished—more like a video blog, short and raw and conversational.’

RELATED ARTICLE“Creating a New Platform to Support Reporting”– David CohnSpot.Us accepts microdonations that are put toward a journalist’s proposal for an investigation. Progress toward reaching the goal is charted on…

‘No longer do I enter the newsroom believing that readers have tuned us out. Perhaps it is we who have tuned them out by creating too great a distance between…

News organizations can remain vital daily destinations by supplementing original reporting with links to the best nonlocal content.

‘… some of the worst features of campaign reporting emanate from the kinds of psychological defenses that reporters erect to deal with their insecurities.’

Looking back to the early 1900’s—to Ida Tarbell and S.S. McClure—offers valuable lessons for watchdog journalism in the 21st century.

On a soggy December morning, a hillside above a busy Oregon highway gave way, and a torrent of mud, rock and trees buried the road, destroyed homes, and smashed cars.…

‘Watchdog work is not just about projects; it’s about an approach to beat coverage that should be reflected in daily and longer-form work.’

‘… our industry, as a whole, cannot afford to abandon or cut back on investigative reporting, particularly on local and regional issues.’