Bart Pfankuch

News produced from inside four walls is less vibrant, less interesting and less human. Here are some tips to getting the most of fieldwork.

Once a journalist understands perfection is unattainable, and mastery only a mystery, it stands to reason that we should all embark on a career of constant discovery and realize that our education never ends.

One firm fact about trend reporting is that it has never been trendier. Here are six tips to help you spot and illuminate trends in your community.

Better Writing with Bart Pfankuch When it comes to interviewing reporter candidates, many editors want to see examples of so-called enterprise reporting. I just finished serving as a judge for several reporting and writing categories for the Washington Newspaper Publishing Association, and I can tell you that the winners across the board took an enterprising…

Here are some ways to generate good story ideas that will not only offer a modicum of employment protection but which can also prime the pump of higher-level reporting and storytelling along the way.

Among all the changes in the news industry, perhaps the most impactful for writers is the dramatic expansion of outlets to obtain information.

The technique breaks a complicated topic down into smaller, more manageable ideas or issues; each smaller topic becomes its own mini story.

You can’t get great details without trying to get them, and you can’t use them effectively without practice. Believe me, it is worth the effort.

My hope is to provide a monthly column that writers and editors will enjoy but also find useful in honing their craft. We’re on this journey together, and I think it will be quite a ride.