It's back-to-school time, and while students everywhere are buying textbooks and sharpening their pencils (or firing up their laptops), journalism students in high school and college have specific stuff they need - and need to know. Whether it's a reporter's notebook or brushing up on Associated Press style, here are some of the basics to get the school year started right.
A Journalist's Toolkit
Photo by Tony Rogers
From notebooks to digital voice recorders, here are some basic tools of the journalism trade that will come in handy when you start doing your stories.
Pick the Right Professors
An otherwise interesting class can be ruined by a boring professor. Likewise, a topic you might normally find dull can be brought to life by a great instructor. Here are some tips for picking professors who will make your journalism classes a blast.
A Brief History of Journalism
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If you're going to choose the news biz as a career, you ought to know a little about its history, right? Here it is in a nutshell.
The Basics of Writing a Lede
The lede (that’s how journalists spell it) is the first paragraph of any news story. It’s also the most important. Here are the basics of how to write ledes that will grab your readers' attention and hold on tight.
AP Style: The Basics
The Associated Press
It's not sexy or glamorous, but learning AP style is every bit as necessary as learning to write or do an interview. Here are the basics you'll need to know.
Avoiding Plagiarism
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Plagiarism is a huge no-no, in both the news business and the ivory tower. But with the vast resources of the Internet at our command, what constitutes plagiarism and how can you avoid it. Here are the basics.
A Reporter's Code of Conduct
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When you're on the job as a reporter for the student newspaper you should conduct yourself as a professional would. Here are the rules of the road.
Get Your Blog or Website Started
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Every aspiring journalist needs to start creating an online brand for himself from the very first day of j-school. Here are some easy - and free - ways you can start your own blog or website in just minutes.
Avoiding Libel
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Being sued for libel is one of the scariest things a reporter can face. But if you're a careful, thorough reporter who has a basic understanding of libel law, you shouldn't have a problem. Here's what you need to know.
College Journalist Profile: Tom Rowan
Want to hear what the j-school experience is like, from someone who's already there? Check out this profile of Tom Rowan, who's a journalism student at Temple University in Philadelphia.
