Special projects energize staff, community

I fondly characterize newsrooms as organized chaos. That definition has aptly described operations for the past 18 months with the impact of COVID-19. The...

Moving from routine to highly relevant: How to improve meeting coverage

This column is aimed at every single journalist working anywhere in the world now and in the future.

Initiate conversations with your readers

A reader questions your policy for reporting suicides. A retailer challenges your staff to produce timely and relevant business news.  A reporter...

Carefully screen columns by public officials

How will the Legislature deal with a record budget surplus, and what will it mean for taxpayer pocketbooks? Are there implications for public safety...

Making a plan to write a terrific news story

Bart Pfankuch is an investigative reporter for South Dakota News Watch, online at sdnewswatch.org. Write to him at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org Every...

Execute your strength: Put names and faces behind the stories

Nothing is more satisfying than looking at your product – whether it’s the print or digital edition – and smiling in approval,...

Enterprise reporting goes beyond the obvious

When it comes to interviewing reporter candidates, many editors want to see examples of so-called enterprise reporting. I just finished serving as a judge for...

Solutions Journalism – Reporting on problems while seeking solutions

With a few simple questions and just a little extra effort, reporters and editors can quickly improve the quality and value of...

A writing journey we’ll take together

Bart Pfankuch Better Writing with Bart Jim Stasiowski, a veteran writing coach whose superb writing advice appeared in the Bulletin for many years, has retired. Beginning with this...

A salute to those who wave the editorial banner

Last summer’s Grassroots Editor still sits in my stack of journalism publications. The edition announced the Golden Quill winners in annual competition...