According to the Society of Professional Journalists, public engagement is "the frontrunner of justice and foundation of democracy." One of the four principles from its code of ethics is to seek the truth and report it.
With the emergence of the internet, the digital press has quickly risen while the paper press has declined. Because of this, the rapid spread of information and facilitated access to the information are some of the results of the rise of a new generation.
Due to these circumstances, journalists should have some important tools at their disposal in order to adapt to these changes and challenges. In fact, journalists have to deal with multiple things at the same time, so multitasking is an important skill.
Here are some must-have tools that journalists should use and have in order to make their work lives easier.
AP Stylebook
The Associated Press stylebook is widely used as the go-to reference and writing guide for news writing and journalism. Every year, the Associated Press publishes a new edition of the stylebook, so keeping up with the revised entries is important in order to stay up to date with these changes. The hard copy and online version of the book is available for purchase. If you are a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, you can receive a 20-percent discount by following the instructions here.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, gives a person "the right to request access records of the executive branch of the U.S. Government," according to the National Archives website. In other words, the federal government is required to disclose federal agency records or information unless a particular record or information falls under one of nine exemptions. If a journalist needs to make a FOIA request, this link provides a detailed explanation on how to file a FOIA request correctly. Journalists should also keep a spreadsheet to organize and keep track on the status of their FOIA requests.
Hosted by SPJ, the Toolbox provides reliable resources for reporting, editing, ethics, data journalism, covering tricky beats (wildfires, mental health, mass shootings, etc.), public safety, verifying and visualizing information for complex stories. Journalists, students and journalism professors can access these helpful and productive resources freely. However, there are some of resources that are fee-based. According to the website, the Toolbox contributed to many global stories, such as 9/11, the George Floyd protests, the war on terror and dozens of natural disasters. SPJ has hosted the Toolbox website since early 2008.
Fact-checking resources
The information you share to the public needs to be correct and legitimate. That is why fact checking and verifying everything you publish is important to ensure accuracy and credibility. Sources should also be verified as well, in terms of reliability. With the appearance of fake news in the recent years, people identify fake news as a growing problem. However, it is not easy to identify fake news as most people think. This link provides great insight into how to identify whether an article is considered fake news or not.
Laptops
Having a laptop is highly important in the the journalism world, especially for young journalists. Laptops are also essential for journalists who have to cover stories on the go, moving from one location to another. They are typically used for researching, writing articles, editing videos and articles, etc. If you're interested in pursuing photography or photojournalism, a MacBook is suggested. Some factors to consider when getting a laptop are budget, durability, comfort and portability.
External hard drives and USBs
Journalists should have an external hard drive and/or USB at their disposal. This is also important because an external hard drive also provides a backup storage in the event a file is lost in its original location. A USB is helpful if you have to work in multiple locations and that way, you have the files you need with you. If you're planning on storing a large amount of photos and videos, consider investing in a 500GB to 1 TB external hard drive.
Audio recorders
These are especially important for recording interviews with your sources. Your smartphone also comes with an audio recorder, which can also be useful for personal use. Audio quality is one of the important factors when choosing an audio recorder. Function, portability, budget and user-friendliness also come into play. The more expensive models (for example, the Zoom H4N model) are typically used to record professional-quality sounds. On the other hand, cheaper models, such as the Zoom H1N model, are used for personal use, such as writing articles and blog posts.
DSLR and/or digital camera
Cameras come in different types, depending on your budget and the type of work you are currently pursuing. In DSLR cameras, you can adjust the shutter speed and aperture manually, as well as changing lenses in between. They offer basic and professional models (with varying price ranges), depending on how seriously you plan to pursue photojournalism. Newer smartphone models, especially the iPhone, have improved cameras that can be used to take good quality pictures and are useful for mobile journalism.
Video camera
The type of video camera you need depends on the type of journalism you are currently pursuing, as well as your budget. For example, broadcast journalists typically use professional-grade video cameras, which are on the expensive side. When I studied journalism at SHSU, I checked out professional video equipment from the mass communication building whenever I had to do video projects, especially filming b-roll for news packages. GoPro video cameras are great for traveling journalists if they need something compact while taking high-quality videos. For mobile journalism, using your smartphone for producing videos is a smart tool to use, so you want to make use of the useful features on the camera to create high-quality videos.
Comments