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How Do Polls and Surveys Work? A Plain-English Guide
How do polls and surveys work? At their core, both try to answer the same question: what does a large group of people think,…
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What Is an Op-Ed Article? Definition, Examples, and How to Write One
What is an op-ed article? The short answer: it is an opinion piece written by someone outside the newspaper’s editorial board, published on the…
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What Is Embargoed News? A Plain-English Explainer
So what is embargoed news, exactly? If you have ever seen a dozen news sites publish the exact same story at the exact same…
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What Is the Difference Between News and Opinion? A Reader’s Guide
One of the most useful questions a news reader can ask is also one of the simplest: what is the difference between news and…
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What Is a Dateline in News Writing? Format, AP Style Rules and Examples
If you have ever wondered what is a dateline in news writing, you are not alone — I have had copy editors, journalism students…
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What Is a Wire Service in Journalism? How AP, Reuters and AFP Really Work
Here is a question I used to get a lot when I worked the metro desk: what is a wire service in journalism, exactly?…
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How Do News Anchors Use a Teleprompter Without Looking at It?
If you have ever wondered how do news anchors use a teleprompter without it looking like they are reading, you are noticing a genuine…
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How Do Journalists Protect Their Sources?
When people ask how do journalists protect their sources, they are usually picturing a parking garage at midnight — a whispered conversation, a brown…
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How to Spot Fake News Images Before You Share Them
Learning how to spot fake news images has become a survival skill. I have watched doctored photos of protests, disasters, and public figures travel…
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What Is a Swing State? How Battlegrounds Decide Elections
Every four years, presidential candidates spend a wildly disproportionate share of their time and money in the same handful of states — Pennsylvania, Michigan,…