J-School: Resources for Photographers and Journalists

The New York Times newsroom in September 1942. (Marjory Collins/U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)

YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO J-SCHOOL to be a great journalist — and there are plenty of Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters who can attest to that. Still, learning about the standards and ethics of the industry can improve anyone’s work, and I can’t stress how important it is to commit to ongoing self-education, regardless of whether you’re on staff or freelancing independently.

The list below includes some of my favorite resources for photographers and journalists that I’ve stumbled across since my first byline was published in print over a decade ago.¹ I’ll add to the list as I come across great new resources, so make sure to check back if you’re interested in learning more.

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A CHANGING INDUSTRY

• “J-School Confidential” by Michael Lewis — The New Republic, April 18, 1993

• “End of blue-collar journalism: Should reporting become less professional?” by Robert Trumpbour — Salon, April 3, 2017

• Local News Blues: Hacks for Local News Publishers

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FACT-CHECKING

• “In the era of fake news, where have all the fact-checkers gone?” by Stephanie Fairyington — Columbia Journalism Review, February 23, 2018

• “What the Fact-Checkers Get Wrong” by Greg Marx — Columbia Journalism Review, January 5, 2012

• “I Was Fact-Checked by The New Yorker” by Evan Osnos — The New Yorker, September 14, 2009

• “Checkpoints: Fact-checkers do it a tick at a time” by John McPhee — The New Yorker, February 1, 2009

• “Accuracy Must Be Our Journalistic Grail: Editors at The Oregonian make writers pause and verify before publication” by Michele McLellan — Nieman Reports, June 15, 2001

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ETHICS

• Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics

• The Munich Charter

• National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists

• Working with Whistleblowers: A Guide for Investigative Journalists from the Global Investigative Journalism Network

• “When Sources Set the Ground Rules” by Margaret Sullivan — The New York Times, May 3, 2014

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PHOTOGRAPHY AND VISUAL JOURNALISM

• The VII Foundation

• World Press Photo

• Women Photograph

• National Press Photographers Association

• What Photographers Should Know About Copyright (U.S. Copyright Office)

• Copyright Term and the Public Domain (Cornell University)

• The Photographers Right

• The Photography Ethics Centre

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LEGAL RESOURCES

• “A Reporter's Guide to Pre-Publication Review” by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

• Reporters Committee Legal Hotline

• RCFP Guides and Resources Archive

• ProJourn

• Lawyers for Reporters

• Substack Defender (for Substack publishers only)

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ONLINE TRAINING

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Resources for Journalists’ Safety

• Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) Training

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PRESS FREEDOM

• Reporters Without Borders

• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

• Committee to Protect Journalists

• Society of Professional Journalists

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DIGITAL SECURITY

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Digital Security Lab

• Knight & PEN America’s Journalist Safety Urgent Care Helpline

• CPJ Digital Safety Kit for Journalists

• Consumer Reports Security Planner

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REPORTING RESOURCES

• Investigative Reporters & Editors

• International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

• Open Secrets

• Forbidden Stories

• MuckRock

• The Data Liberation Project

• Data is Plural

• U.S. Census Data

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data

• U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Data

• USASpending.gov

• U.S. System for Award Management (SAM)

• The Wayback Machine

• End of Term Archive

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THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)

• How to Make a Federal FOIA Request

• National Freedom of Information Coalition

• MuckRock

• FOIA.wiki

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MEDIA CRITICISM AND ANALYSIS

• Columbia Journalism Review

• Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)

• “The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect” by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel

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WRITING RESOURCES

• Associated Press Stylebook

• Oxford English Dictionary

• Webster’s 1913

• Citation Machine

This page is a work in progress. Did I forget to include something cool? Let me know!

Disclaimer: The recommendations and information on this page are for informational purposes only. Recommendations are not endorsements. The author has no financial interest or formal connection to any of the websites, companies or organizations listed. The content on this page is not intended as legal advice or professional advice.

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