Rejected License Plates: a Fun Story Idea to Keep Your Readers Engaged
License Plates are typically a random configuration of numbers and letters that our eyes barely register. But every once in
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A Beginner’s Guide to Corporate Social Responsibility
What is corporate social responsibility? Businessdictionary.com defines corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a sense of responsibility toward the community and
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A Guide to For-Profit Universities
What are for-profit colleges? For-profit colleges are operated by owners or investors versus the government, a religious group, or a
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Own Your Style but Don’t Get Owned by It
There’s a level of writing development and individuality that many if not most reporters try to achieve—personal style. It’s a
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Reporting Not Just About, but for Low Income People
Thirty six percent of Americans are financially fragile, according to NEFE. That’s about one in three Americans. For young people
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The Business of Natural Disasters
Natural disasters affect nearly 160 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. They include earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires,
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Don’t Push Sources Beyond What They Actually Know
You’re no better than your sources, and the more varied and deep the information they can provide, the more effective
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Pushing Dollars: A Guide to Zombie Debt
The average American has “about 38,000 in personal debt, excluding home mortgage,” a $1,000 increase from last year, according to
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Reporting on the Youth Vaping Trend
As teen smoking rates drop to historic lows, e-cigarette use, or ‘vaping’ is on the rise among the young. Between
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Reporting on The “Fight for $15”
According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour for most workers. This federal
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3 Top Retirement Regrets to Banish
The three “legs” on the traditional retirement planning model—Social Security, pensions, and personal savings—have been wobbly for awhile. The future
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Stop Falling for Off-the-Record Interviews
Hearing from people who ask for interviews off the record has become a regular part of business journalism. In my
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The Freelance Writers’ Guide to Networking
While journalism requires a certain willingness to talk to strangers and interview sources, many writers are introverts who’d rather not
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Don’t Use Sources Who Are Phonies
If your experience reporting is anything like mine, you’ll constantly hear from people who want to be sources and their
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Reporting on School Lunch Debt
A third grader in California recently made headlines for paying off his fellow classmates’ lunch debt of almost $76 with
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How ‘Secure’ Is the Retirement Savings Bill?
Business reporters can get ahead of the competition by advancing this personal finance story that will be making headlines in
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Watch Sources for Lying
Finding good sources can be a challenge and chances are you spend a good amount of time looking for them.
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Is This a New Era for Employee Activism?
Teacher strikes across the country. Employee walkouts at Boston-based furniture retailer Wayfair over selling furniture to detention centers and LA-based
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Social Media Platforms Can Be Great Search Engines
Social media has become such a fabric of life that it is also now an intrinsic part of how reporters
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Pouring Out New Ideas for Bars and Bartending
Every summer, there are new recommendations for local bars to try or cocktails to imbibe. Here are some new ways
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States Aren’t Waiting for Washington to Offer Workers Retirement Security
Let’s start with the good news about retirement savings security. According to the report released on March 29, 2019 by
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