Category / Field Notes

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10 tips for the savvy environmental journalist

Science and environmental issues can be challenging for the public to understand due to the technical language and complexity, so journalists should act as translators by using clear, concise language and relevant examples to explain the science and the issues.…
SABAR introduces free terminology guidebook for reporting on Aboriginal issues

There are many nuances to covering Aboriginal issues that a lot of journalists aren't aware of, but now there's a new resource that can help solve that problem. Eric Mark Do has details on a terminology guidebook for reporting on Aboriginal…
20 years out of j-school: Comparing journalism past and present

Twenty years ago, field notes editor Nicole Blanchett Neheli graduated from Ryerson's journalism program. News practice has changed remarkably between now and then. Here, she looks at the past, present and future of an industry trying to grapple with a…
10 tips for covering funerals

The Ottawa Citizen’s Matthew Pearson recently covered the funeral of Ottawa bus crash victim Karen Krzyzewski. He shares his advice for reporting on such events.…
How CBC covered the Ottawa train crash

Jane Anido, managing director for CBC Ottawa, explains how the newsroom collaborated to tell the fast-developing story of Ottawa train crash and the challenges they encountered along the way. …
Back to school: How to succeed at an internship in a city you’ve never been to before

Recent Ryerson grad Rhiannon Russell spent the summer working at the Telegraph-Journal in Saint John, New Brunswick, and shares some tips on surviving (and thriving) at an internship in a new city. …
Back to school: Want to work overseas? Do your research

Many journalism students dream of working overseas, but Lily Martin turned fantasy into reality. How? Research. Here in J-Source she explains how being able to find people and information–especially through social media–makes you an asset abroad, and why you need…
Back to school: How to land a job out of j-school

Wondering how to land a coveted job out of j-school? CBC's Justin Grant explains how he went from the clasroom, to an internship, to a job in a newsroom within weeks of graduation, and shares some tips on surviving in…
The challenges of investigative reporting as a freelancer

Even though her reporting on egg donors was subsidized, Alison Motluk says she lost money writing her Maisonneuve article. She doesn't regret it — her piece did win the CAJ’s magazine award, after all — but says there are many…
Spec on the Spot: Newspaper takes reporting back to the basics

Hamilton Spectator assignment editor Nicole MacIntyre wanted to give her reporters a chance to explore their city. So, she asked them to choose a spot on a city map blindfolded and off they went. The mission: find a newsworthy story…