Media Helping Media: Free Training Resources for Journalists and Managers

Media Helping Media (MHM) is an online platform that offers free training resources to help journalists produce accurate, fair, objective, and impartial journalism in order to inform public debate. The site covers a wide range of topics, such as investigative journalism, editorial ethics, media management and strategy, and staff training. It also offers scenarios based on real situations faced by journalists to test journalistic instincts. Supported by Fojo Media Institute, this online resource is intended to provide free training resources for all involved in the media in transition states, post-conflict countries, and areas where the media is still developing.

MHM was originally set up in 2005 by two former BBC colleagues, David Brewer and Bob Eggington. They had been working in the field of international media development - in particular, on projects that train journalists in basic journalism skills and help media managers adapt to changing audience behaviour. Here, they saw the need for journalism training resources that are written in simple terms and accessible to all. Since January 2018, the site has been hosted by Fojo Media Institute, whose mission is to strengthen free, independent, and professional journalism. The organisation has adopted MHM as its official resource of journalism training modules.

All modules on this platform have been written by media professionals and media trainers and donated free of charge under Creative Commons, meaning that text and images can be re-used, as long as proper attribution is provided. Many modules were written specifically for training sessions delivered in the Majority World and are kept up to date with changes in the media environment and the needs of the media.

The following are some of MHM's key focus areas:

• Basics - For those starting off in a career in journalism, including what makes news, how to write a story, interviewing tips, and fact-checking.
• Ethics - Includes training modules on the essential ethical issues that face all journalists who are attempting to inform the public debate. Topics include integrity, accuracy, impartiality, and bias.
• Strategy - For those involved in developing a strategy for running a successful media business that informs the public debate and is financially sustainable. Topics include the evolution to digital, managing people and setting objectives, and skills and techniques of media project management.
• Advanced - For those who have mastered the basic requirements for producing quality journalism and want to know more. Topics include dealing with information disorder, fake news. and the political manipulation of journalists.
• Investigative - For those wanting to produce powerful investigative journalism. Topics include working with official documents, compiling an investigative journalism dossier, and avoiding the pitfalls of investigative journalism.
• Management - For those who are involved in the day-to-day management of journalists in the newsroom and in the field. Topics include story weighting systems for breaking news, social media in news production and news dissemination, and the role of the news producer.
• Scenarios - Offers news scenarios based on real situations faced by journalists for journalists to test their editorial awareness. Scenarios include those related to covering a tragedy, legal threats, and informed consent.
• Training - For those involved in designing and delivering training courses for journalists and media managers, often referred to as Training of Trainers (TOT). Topics include identifying the essential qualities of a media trainer, designing a successful media training plan, and evaluating the impact of training.