Some tips from home and abroad

Image from Flickr user Paul Downey

By Ryan Levi

The end of this semester is a time of transition for ONA Mizzou. Three of our executive members (Maria Davison, A.J. Feather, and myself) are getting ready to study abroad in the spring while three more (Emerald O'Brien, Madison Feller, and Sarah Darby) are preparing to return from overseas and take their spots. We have all learned a lot this semester and we want to impart some of what we learned to you all.

Required reading for aspiring journalists

By Maria Davison

From Flickr user Georg Mayer

This semester I’ve been assigned to read a lot of incredible pieces of journalism. We didn’t just read things that were published yesterday, but pieces that spanned history and genres. When the semester ends, I’m going to miss having required reading because on my own, I never know what’s actually worth taking the time to read.

With every bit of advice for young journalists comes the tip that we should be reading and reading. And reading. So what should we read?

Paid for by the people: Crowdfunding journalism

From Flickr user Simon Cunningham

By Kara Tabor

Have you ever given money to a pledge drive or donated to public media? What about throwing a few bucks at a Kickstarter fund or an Indiegogo campaign for an investigative project or a podcast?

Funding journalism has become a challenge as traditional advertising and business models have been disturbed by the transition to online. But with new platforms that are making it easier for audiences to give to the media they want, in some respects crowdfunding appears to be filling that gap.

A new kind of newsroom?

By Katy Mersmann

Creative Commons photo by Brian Indrelunas

A few weeks ago, I came upon an article by Nieman Lab breaking down a Pew Research Center study that suggests that Americans get their news from specific outlets based, at least in part, on their political preferences. In many ways, it seemed like a no-brainer. People like to have their own opinions confirmed and it's only natural that audiences would focus on news they perceive as being reported in a way that supports their beliefs.

#MyPersonal45

By Ryan Levi

Photo courtesy of Quinn Dombrowski

Being a journalist is a stressful job. Being a journalist in the digital era where we are constantly connected and able to report and produce content anywhere we can get a cell signal is even more stressful. So how can journalists avoid over stressing and maintain a work-life balance?