Ongoing coverage of the Australian election campaign for 2016.
Twitter and the discerning citizen journalist
December 12, 2013
No Fibs relies on social media to broadcast our news. In particular, we are a Twitter experiment. The wonder of social media is that it enables us to disseminate news quickly – very quickly. Its inherent danger is that is also encourages citizen journalists to spread false information quickly – very quickly. As a citizen journalist […]
How to write a news story
October 8, 2013
The art of reporting is the art of simplicity. And as with the art of anything at all – it looks soooooo easy. Which is what makes it an art. Writing a news story is like writing a country music song – it’s deceptively complex. And a fantastic skill to master if you’re willing to […]
No Fibs style
October 8, 2013
Every organisation has its presentation style and No Fibs is no exception. No Fibs uses standard news style and we ask all our CJs to pay attention to the basics. The reasons for this are twofold: 1. our readers – consistency ensures readers are free to read our stories and reports without having to concentrate […]
Assumptions are death
October 8, 2013
Assumptions – we all make them all the time. As a citizen journalist, however, your assumptions can destroy reputations – your own, your interviewees’, No Fibs’. Journalists – MSM (mainstream media) and CJ (citizen) – train themselves to question assumptions. It’s a trait that makes us very boring at parties. “Really? Is that true? Where […]
Accuracy rules!
October 8, 2013
Accuracy is a key component of every single aspect of your life as a citizen journalist. It is the foundation stone of your work – and your reputation. It is relevant to the presentation of your stories and their content and your relationships (to readers, interviewees and professional contacts). Spelling and grammar There is no […]
Fact or opinion?
October 8, 2013
Yes, there is a difference between fact and opinion – and a credible CJ must be able to identify that difference. Facts are claims that you can verify by asking yourself a simple question: ‘says who?’ Opinions are thoughts that you or the person you are interviewing express about an issue, event or topic of […]
Mindful ethics for election bloggers and citizen journalists
August 10, 2013
By Mark Pearson, Professor of Journalism and Social Media, Griffith University, Australia 10 August 2013 Bloggers and citizen journalists come from an array of backgrounds and thus bring varied cultural and ethical values to their blogging. No Fibs asks its citizen journalists to follow the MEAA Code of Ethics, and the journalists’ union has recently […]
The basics on blogging and tweeting without getting sued
May 29, 2013
Margo: This is the third post in our series exploring the meaning of journalism. Professor Mark Pearson, an expert in media law, outlines the basic legal issues journos must keep in mind. by Mark Pearson May 29, 2013 Countless laws might apply to the serious blogger and citizen journalist because Web 2.0 communications transcend borders into […]
The art of journalism: satisfying beginners and expert readers
May 20, 2013
By Sally Baxter May 19, 2013 What makes a journalist? A lot of people – inside and outside the profession – are asking that question. If you think it takes a genius, think again. Good journalists have a representative of their audience in mind who informs every step of their work. My background’s print, so it’s natural […]
