Students' Lounge

Sep 09, 2010 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

Here's a great jumping-off point for working journalists, teachers, students or anyone who wants to build a library of excellent journalism manuals and reference books. This list includes books on topics ranging from ethics to investigative reporting to online journalism, as well as some recommended stylebooks and grammar manuals.

International journalism awards

Feb 01, 2010 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

A listing of the major journalism awards offered around the world.

Interview season

Dec 14, 2009 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

It’s getting to be that time of year again. Yes, put away those twinkle lights and nicely wrapped presents because interview season is just around the corner, and you’ll want to nail it.

The its/its conundrum

Dec 02, 2009 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

The difference between its (possessive) and it’s (contraction) is grammar 101. It’s child's play. It's the ham sandwich of gourmet grammar. And yet it is one of the most common grammar errors, if not the most common error, out there in the world of very smart and savvy journalism students (and, don't be fooled, professional journalists). But don’t feel too bad—there may be a reason why this particular mistake is plaguing your writing.

Who bit whom?

Dec 01, 2009 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

Does anyone really know the difference between who and whom? It seems these poor words have gotten a bad rap for being the most confusing and most misused pair of words in the world of grammar. Luckily, there are a couple of tricks to help you remember which is which.

A quick guide to "affect" and "effect"

Nov 27, 2009 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

In the slippery world of “affect versus effect” many default to the “affect is a verb and effect is a noun” thought process. But both words can be used as both noun and verb, which makes choosing the right word in this manner a matter of gut-feeling guesswork. This dilemma is explained well in a blog post from PoynterOnline.

Apostrophes and you

Nov 15, 2009 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

The apostrophe is a tricky devil, arguably the trickiest bit of punctuation the English language offers. If you find yourself constantly second-guessing whether “its” or “it’s” is the correct word, you’re not alone. But fear not: the funny folks at The Oatmeal have made a handy chart that should dispel the confusion.

Ryan Sholins advice to journalism students: master one "analog" skill and one "digital" skill

Nov 03, 2009 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

The web is taking over, no doubt, but it's important to not put all your eggs in that basket and retain and hone some of the core journalistic skills you're already learning in j-school, writes Ryan Sholin on his blog, Invisible Inkling.

Durham College prof launches social networking site for journalism students

Oct 19, 2009 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

Journalism schools can become a bit of an in-crowd. Students are tight with each other but get very few opportunities to connect with someone from another school. A Durham College journalism professor is trying to do just that—connect students from different j-schools across the world—with the newly launched Global Student Journalists, an online social network for journalism students.

Make your cover letter dress to impress

Oct 15, 2009 - Posted by Melissa Wilson - Students' Lounge Editor

When you’re on the job hunt, the cover letter you attach to your resume will give employers their first impression of you. So you better make it great. Here are some tips.