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When covering disability, avoid ableist tropes like the ‘pity trap’

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An accuracy checklist to take with you

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‘Butt cut what?’ A glossary of audio production terms

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A search-engine field appears on a gradient background that goes from red to blue. The word "Latino" appears in the field, as if typed. Then, several choices of term appear below "Did you mean:" These are Latina, Latine, Latinx, Latin@, Hispanic, Person of Color, BIPOC, POC, Black, Brown, Indigenous, Argentinian, Chelean, Colombian, Peruvian, Venezuelan, Guatemalan, Brazilian, Mexican, Spanish, Puerto Rican, Cuban and Ecuadorian. The list ends with "See more."

BIPOC? Latinx? Here’s how to describe people accurately

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Four iphones in a row on a yellow background. In the first from left, a Black man dressed as Ben Franklin smiles. In the second, a white young man rides a digitally drawn surfboard. In the third, a small child hiccups. In the fourth, a Black woman speaks in the foreground with a white woman in the background.

Yes, you can cram your story into a one-minute TikTok. Here’s how

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Writing a script for a social video means paring down your piece to the barest minimum that still makes sense.

A person with light-green wavy hair, wearing a green T-shirt and overalls, speaks into a microphone held by a woman wearing glasses and a light-blue hijab. The woman is not entirely opaque, and the background of purple rowhouses shows through her.

When interviewing sources, transparency is the key to trust

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These best practices from NPR editors and producers will help you set clear expectations for what happens during and after an interview.

A college-age, half-Korean woman, with shoulder-length dark hair, brown eyes and freckles, looks out a curtained window.

How a self-taught podcaster won NPR’s College Podcast Challenge

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Anya Steinberg didn’t have any formal journalism training or experience, so when she set out to win the Challenge, she had a lot to learn.

In this drawing, a Black woman browses at a record store. She holds a record that she's taken from a shelf. The album covers on the shelf have audio waveforms on them. In the background, other people browse the store.

Find your groove when mixing audio stories about music

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NPR producers share their techniques for mixing songs into stories about artists, shows, albums and more. Sample tip: Dance at your desk.

On the left, a black man, bald and with a salt and pepper beard, looks straight ahead with an unsmiling expression. On the right, a black woman, with curly, shoulder-length hair, wears a pink jacket over a white, high-necked shirt.

The ‘Louder Than a Riot’ team’s tips for starting a podcast

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You need more than a cute idea to get a podcast off the ground.

People in rowboats fish as they float on blue water. Golden fish congregate around a star attached to the fishing line of the person in the center.

A beginner’s guide to hooking audiences with Instagram Reels

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Instagram’s answer to TikTok, Reels are vertical videos that can last up to a minute. They can engage your existing Instagram audience and expand your reach to new users.

On a blue background, three cartoon germs — one yellow, one purple and one red — are covered with spikes and are making evil faces.

Don’t let colds or allergies make you sound as bad as you feel

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NPR announcer Jessica Hansen shares her tips for sounding healthy despite colds, flu, allergies and other voice-affecting afflictions.

A shotgun mic with a fuzzy cover is pointed at a man in casual dress; the mic is huge and the man is small.

Feign ignorance, demystify the mic and other audio interview tips

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Here’s how to prepare for an interview, set your sources at ease and get all your questions answered.

a female audio producer holding a clipboard with a check on it shoots at a toaster as refrigerators, vacuums, phones, dogs and more toasters fall from the sky, all on a space background, in the pixelated style of an early video game

Catch audio problems in radio interviews — before they happen

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Our checklist will help producers catch potential pitfalls before and during interviews, whether remote or in-person.

What journalists need to know when covering climate change

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These facts, compiled by NPR’s climate editors, can provide big-picture context for weather events and other topics linked to climate change.

illustrations that mimic airplane safety instruction cards correspond with the headline-writing tips in the story

Write digital headlines both readers and Google will love

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Here are some characteristics of good display and SEO headlines, plus some advice for chasing down an elusive muse.

A hand with a formula written on it is in the foreground in front of a laptop with a test question, implying that the test taker is referencing her hand to get the right answer.

Use this radio-to-web cheat sheet to write for digital with ease

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Plenty of broadcast reporters and editors think of digital stories as an afterthought.

A simple script for your diverse source tracking needs

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Ask these questions in an interview to get the data you crave!

Build your audience with SEO descriptions and custom URLs

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Custom URLs and SEO descriptions make Google happy and give your posts a boost in search.

How to keep a technical failure from wrecking your broadcast

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“Weekend Edition” stayed on the air despite losing access to audio. These steps will help you survive — and avoid — disasters as well.

The case against collocations, word pairs that stifle creativity

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Tired of using “fearless leader,” “stony silence” or other hackneyed duos? You should be. Break the habit.

The ‘Short Wave’ staff knows how to keep a daily pod sustainable

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Launching a daily podcast is one thing — keeping it alive, day after day, is another.

Nut graf and lead duos that point readers in the right direction

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Certain pairings are better than others. We present some compatible couples.

How to write a cover letter for a journalism job or internship

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Please, please, PLEASE read this before applying to a position at a member station or NPR (or ANY journalism job, really).

The show editor’s interview checklist

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On a show, the interview is brief and it is the story. So much depends on preparation, and having an editor’s ear.

Editors, keep your writers happy

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Earn their love and respect, not their loathing and resentment.

Trill, buzz, floss, breathe: Coach yourself to sound your best

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Do your guests sound nervous, flat, sing-song or just plain blah? These guides will cure their vocal woes.

For digital, flatten the pyramid and embrace the trapezoid

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If you’re wedded to the inverted pyramid (or just don’t know any better), don’t get to the point — end on a flat note. Metaphorically.

Sit right and don’t forget to move: an ergonomics guide

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You’ve got a decent chair and desk. So why does your back still hurt? Hint: It’s not the furniture’s fault.

Must-have math skills for the number-crunching newsperson

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Refresh your high school math-class memory with this review of basic, yet confusing, concepts.

Protecting, cleaning and sanitizing your gear the right way

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Keeping your gear safe and sanitary is not a one-step process. More like four to six steps. Get ’em here.

HAY-soos or hay-SOOS? Getting the accent right in Spanish

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Unlike English, Spanish has rules of pronunciation that are simple and easy to learn.

A field guide to reporting on COVID-19 (bring plastic wrap)

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Put on your mask and stock up on alcohol wipes — you’re going into the coronavirus-infested wilds.

During the pandemic, cover those we’ve left out

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In times of crisis, journalists have the responsibility — even more so than usual — to seek out people who are often passed over by the media, even as stay-at-home orders make it harder to reach them.

Professional sound from a DIY studio: It can be done!

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You’ve put together a home studio.