Media Hat
iMEdD - incubator for Media Education and Development
A non-profit organization with the mission to support the transparency, credibility and independence in journalism.
By Eleni Kasimou
Hello there!
This month, inspired by the NPA Summit, we're diving into a variety of products and storytelling formats—everything from community building projects to election coverage tools.
Now that September’s planning phase is behind us, it's the perfect time to get practical, try the resources in our to-do lists and see what works best for your story before hitting “publish” or “play.”
If you're new to this newsletter, each month, we introduce a variety of tools and stories—supporting journalists that wear many “hats”—investigators, content creators, editors and more. By sharing new tools that support real-world stories and shedding light on insights hidden behind the headlines.
So, let’s dive in!
💡Up Your Sleeve
Tools for election coverage
Covering elections can be challenging, especially with trust at an all-time low.Trusting NewsElection Toolkit has practical tips and hands-on training to help. Join webinars on reaching beyond political junkies, depolarizing stories, and showing your work to prove fairness. Plus, ways to communicate your election strategy and navigate today’s fragmented realities. Explore more
For an added boost, use Rolli’s tool to track candidate social media posts, sorted into positive, negative, or neutral categories.
Tackling user needs in the newsroom
Implementing user needs can be tricky, especially with limited resources or internal pushback – or even not knowing where to begin. Ιn this six-part email course, Khalil A. Cassimally guides you step-by-step, from getting buy-in and auditing user needs to building a cross-functional team and scaling efforts. Packed with actionable insights, templates, and tips, for reconnecting with your audience. Check out the course
Want a faster way to scan websites privacy?
You might be familiar with Blacklight but manually entering each URL is time-consuming. Enter Blacklight Query, a new open-source tool from The Markup that lets you inspect batches of websites right from your command line. Just upload a text file with URLs, run a command, and voilà—you’ve got all your results in no time. Try it out
Freelancing feels like a lot?
Being a freelance offers freedom but comes with challenges like managing income and securing assignments. Freelance journalist Christiana Bedei from International Journalists' Network (IJNet), share essential tips, from rate guides and negotiation strategies to grant-writing advice for funding bigger projects. Explore more
🎧We’ll be tuning into the Freelancing for Journalists podcast with Lily Canter & Emma Wilkinson ourselves.
🔍Behind the Headlines
Investigating civilian harm in Gaza
In a groundbreaking investigation, Airwars and Sky News, conducted the most extensive public analysis to date of Israeli military strike footage from the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Reviewing hundreds of clips posted by the IDF, which claimed to target Hamas and other militant groups. Despite limited details in the grainy footage, the investigation revealed that 17 strikes alone resulted in over 400 civilian deaths. Watch the video & explore the interactive map
Think you can balance the UK budget? Give it a go!
Step into the UK chancellor’s shoes with this interactive game from Financial Times. Created with the help of the Resolution Foundation, this game lets you try your hand at crafting a budget while facing the tough trade-offs that come with economic policy. It’s a fantastic tool for both curious citizens and journalists. Κudos to Sam Joiner, Sam Fleming, Emma Lewis, Caroline Nevitt , and Justine Williams and Emanuel Santos’ illustrations. 🎮 Play now
Europe’s sabotage wave
In a recent episode of The Europeans podcast , hosts Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer speak with journalist Marta Vunsh and dive into a string of sabotage incidents across Europe, some linked to Russian-backed recruitment on Telegram. Listen here
Behind Columbia's encampment protest
This platform hosts exclusive stories and never-before-seen footage from Columbia University’s two-week encampment protest, captured by student journalists. Τhrough unique photography and soundbites, you’ll get an in-depth look at how this movement unfolded and its impact. Learn more
🌍Community Spotlight
European Press Prize 2025: Applications open!
It’s time! Submissions for the European Press Prize 2025 are officially open until 14 December 2024. Journalists from across 46 European countries, plus Belarus and Russia, are invited to submit work. Whether you're aiming for the Distinguished Reporting, Innovation, Investigative Reporting, Migration Journalism, or Public Discourse categories, now’s your chance to showcase your best work.
Got questions? Check out their website
Product thinking in newsrooms
We recently attended (virtually!) the NPA Summit, hosted by the News Product Alliance, and it was a hands-on deep dive into the growing role of product in journalism. Although the summit has wrapped up, you can always join their Slack channel—where members share exciting projects, give feedback, and discuss upcoming events.
Looking for more? Check out their blog, explore helpful resources, or even consider a News Product Management certification to take your skills to the next level.
Changing media from the ground up
People-Powered Storytelling is a new series highlighting grassroots, community-led media across the UK. It brings together 10 diverse news organizations, originally supported by the The Lankellychase Foundation, to amplify lived experiences and challenge traditional narratives. Spanning print, digital, podcasts, and film, the series showcases how community-centered storytelling can reshape media for a more inclusive future. Learn more
Your gateway to the audio world
Ready to level up your radio, podcast, or audio projects? Radiodays Europe 2025 is happening in Athens, bringing together over 1,500 creators from 65 countries. It’s the perfect place to explore trends in radio, podcasts, and audio projects and connect with fellow pros in the audioverse. Find out more
Let’s Chat!
Got questions? Ideas on what you’d like to explore next? Drop us a line!
We're here to navigate through the twists and turns of the ever-evolving field of journalism.
And if you like our newsletter, feel free to share it and encourage others to sign up.
Until next month..