Chapter 4

New Reporting Methods

While the method in which journalists present their work is changing, as well as the method in which the consumer intercepts journalism, the ways journalists conduct their work, for the most part, remains the same.  Most journalists believe there are ways to confront new ways of gathering information, and presenting the news, without sacrificing his or her ethics, or values. Traditionalists, however, are calling for debates for everything from blogs to reader comments on a news Web site.  But, by embracing technology and transparency, journalists have a greater opportunity for better journalism in today’s digital information age. 

Many reporters aren’t prepared for digital information like blogs and third-party sites.  An easy way to stay on track with the new Web is to enhance the qualities a journalist already uses.  One of the most important tools available for journalist use is the database. Here are some tips on using databases:

Here are some topics that are used in databases:

Some more advice for new Web journalists requires some sacrifices of old practices.  First, get rid of paper.  Keeping information is much easier when you don’t have to worry about accidentally throwing away your contacts, or your interviews.  E-mails, Word documents, and online organizers are available to help make this transition easier.  Using a free Web service like Backpack is ideal for journalists who need calendars to keep track of deadlines and meetings. It also has a good note-taking function that is always web-accessible, and better than paper, because it can be edited and modified much more easily.  In fact, you have to literally attempt to lose your notes on this thing!


One more thing; the new Web journalist always attempt to include crowdsourcing into his or her reporting methods.  Crowdsourcing is a term typically compared to “outsourcing” because it relies on outside sources to get a job done.  Crowdsourcing is an important tool because it gathers all of the information from a large group of individuals who can provide updates and details. 

These new methods aren’t much different from older ones used to report the news.  They are simply newer models that make it easier not only for the journalist, but for the readers as well.