Journalism Resources for Bloggers

Blogging is a form of journalism. I have said that before, but I want to really focus on it in this article. To be sure, there are major differences between being a journalist and being a blogger - most notably the freedom that comes from being your own editor, publisher and critic. However, spending a couple of hours perusing a site designed to create better journalists can only help you become a better blogger. Because, really, becoming a better journalist is really about become a better storyteller and writer.

As bloggers, we all aim to tell original, engaging stories. Whether you are writing about today’s political news or the energy of tomorrow, every blogger should be striving to learn how to tell a great story. With that said, here are five sites designed for journalists that will help you become a better blogger.

1. Poynter Online sells itself as “Everything you need to be a better journalist.” And it just might be. You could spend a couple of days on this site and still barely have scratched the surface. Poynter online offers story ideas, writing tips and a career center.
2. With more than 50 free e-courses, News University offers something for writers at any stage of their careers. Once you register you can take as few or as many classes as you want in topics like ethics, writing tools and coverage of specific venues and genres.
3. Journalism.org may seem like it would only help if you are a newsy-type blogger, but if you use your imagination, you can extend it to your specific niche. According to the site, 64% of adults are being reached by U.S. newspapers in top markets. This means newspapers must be talking about the things people care about, right? So check out what is hot, read quality content to learn how to write it and do some fact checking in the Numbers section.
4. The Slot is a website created for copywriters by Bill Walsh, a noted word guy. For answers to some tricky writing questions, visit the Sharp Points section. You might think that random word facts are boring or irrelevant, but I think you’ll be surprised by how helpful these explanations actually are.
5. Journalist Robert Niles has a site outlining statistics every writer should know. Not only will you feel more secure quoting stats, but you will be able to do more with numbers because you will understand what they really mean. If you are a web design snob, try to look past that to the content. Robert is actually a cutting edge designer, it appears he does not really maintain this site any longer. Robert also offers a very elementary definition of journalism for any of you looking to nail down the term.

There are thousands of quality writing resources on the web. As a general rule, you always want to consider the source before you trust it. The sources above are all respected people or organizations full of well-researched, educational information. It is important to know style and grammar rules, but only so that you can bend them to become your own writer.