Watching 2020 Elections
Charlie Cook has been watching presidential and congressional politics for decades. Here’s his assessment of 2020.
Polling the 2020 Race
The 2020 election will be awash in polls, but reporters must learn to be wary of the weak ones.
Counting the Delegates
The Associated Press’ top vote counter explains the presidential primary process and how delegates are awarded and counted.
Gerrymandering and Redistricting
Between legal challenges over gerrymandering and the normal redistricting process, a lot could change in congressional districts in 2020.
How Rules Impact Policy
Two experts on the administrative rulemaking process describe how the White House can wield its power through regulations.
Understanding Recessions
Greg Ip of The Wall Street Journal has been watching the economy for years. He offers a primer on how to do so.
State and Federal Spending
It’s important to watch Washington’s budget – as well as the individual states that budget impact.
Budgets and Debt
Reporters adept at covering the federal budget can find the money angle in just about every potential story.
Covering Impeachment
Dan Balz has spent a lot of time observing and reporting on something that used to be rare in politics: impeachment.
The State of First Amendment Law
Lata Nott, executive director, First Amendment Center, Freedom Forum Institute
Paul Miller Testimonials
The Paul Miller fellows share their experiences about the program and tell us how it has helped them grow as Washington journalists.
Tips for Reporting on the Courts
Courts coverage gives an insight into human lives and legal minds. Veterans on the beat describe how they cover it.
The High Court and Politics
A law professor and former journalist cautions reporters to not read too much into each decision and action by the court.
Making the Most of TV Time
Going on television can amplify a reporter’s work – if they don’t choke while on the air.
Stumbling Into Investigations
Good investigation is a matter of both planning and luck – and being able to jump on the opportunity.
Leaping from Newspapers to Books
Former Washington reporter John Farrell now writes critically acclaimed biographies. Many of the tools he uses are the same as he used in the newsroom.
How to Use FOIA Effectively
Two experts on using the Freedom of Information Act pull back the curtain on the process.
How EarthTime Maps the Planet
Carnegie Mellon University resource pulls in 800 different data layers to allow reporters to document a changing planet.
Photography for Reporters
An Associated Press photographer offers simple tips for making the most of your phone camera.
Basic News Graphics
A news graphics designer shares tips for producing simple but well-designed graphics to illustrate your stories.
Podcasting 101
Podcasting is the current “it” thing in journalism. An NPR veteran explains how to do it.
Tips for Covering Campaign Finance
Journalists who cover money and politics share strategies for getting inside the process.
Tracking Campaign Spending
Research organization helps reporters keep tabs on the campaign finances of federal candidates.
Examining Worldwide Security Challenges
The Stimson Center, a foreign policy think tank, gave NPF fellows insight on Russia, North Korea and other hotspots.
Basics of Military Spending
A pivot away from counterterrorism and toward China and Russia is fundamentally changing how the Pentagon operates.
White House Beat: Frustrations and Surprises
Interviews with the president sometimes come out of the blue. How do reporters prepare for the unexpected?
Embeds on the Campaign Trail
Young reporters hitch a ride on campaigns as so-called “embeds,” chronicling every step of a presidential campaign from the earliest primary action.
Tracking the Expanding List of Presidential Falsehoods
Fact-checkers came of age a decade ago and are now fully immersed in the journalism process. How do they do it?
The Evolving Presidential Primary Process
Unlike the smoke-filled back rooms of old, modern presidential campaigns are built on a sequence of state contests that continue to grow in importance.
Rising Polarization in Congress
Political polarization in Congress is at levels not seen in more than a hundred years. Will it be possible for anything to get done?
Using C-SPAN’s Video Goldmine
To watch all the video in C-SPAN’s library would take a quarter of a century. Here’s how journalists can make use of it.
Investigating the Underbelly of Congress
Covering Congress means more than chasing lawmakers down the halls of the Capitol.
Understanding Debt and Deficits
An expert on the nation’s budget process gives tips on where it is going – and how reporters can cover it.
Covering the Federal Budget
Two reporters well-versed in the federal budget lay out their tips and strategies for covering a behemoth spending plan that never goes the way it’s supposed to.
Nuts and Bolts of the Oversight Process
Three experts provide tips and resources for reporting on the congressional oversight investigations.
Redistricting and 2020
When does acceptable redistricting cross over into unacceptable gerrymandering? An elections expert explains.
Tips for Covering Election Night
Two elections veterans share the inside scoop on how votes are counted and how races are called on election night.
Understanding Wave Elections
A leading presidential and congressional historian gives an overview of wave elections – 1974, 1994, 2010 – and those that came before.
The Midterms in 2018
Amy Walter, one of the nation’s leading political analysts, gives an overview of what could happen in the 2018 midterm elections – and what the results might mean down the road.
Understanding Polls
Political and social issue polling is being conducted by an increasing array of media, political and advocacy organizations. Some are reliable. Many aren’t.
Court Coverage from Veterans on the Beat
Lyle Denniston has covered the Supreme Court for 60 years. How he and other court reporters keep on top of the law in a real-time world.
Politics and the Supreme Court
The country occasionally is roiled by fights over putting justices on the nation’s highest court for life. Is it getting more intense?
Five Decades in the Journalism Trenches
Over half a century, legendary reporter Sy Hersh helped define the craft of source-driven investigative reporting. What are his secrets?
Going Long: From “The Invisibles” to “Black Panther”
It’s a tall order for time-crunched journalists to find the hours to write a book; an award-winning journalist and author reveals how he does so.
Digging Below the Surface
The best reporters in the business have a range of techniques – but there are some strategies and tactics they all share.
In Legal Jeopardy?
First Amendment lawyer Kevin Goldberg makes a game of law and the media – literally. Play along with his Jeopardy-style law review.
Look Beyond the Supreme Court
Enterprising reporters can find a wealth of story ideas beyond the Supreme Court.
Tips for In-Depth Legal Coverage
Reporters well-versed in covering the Supreme Court and other courts share how they find and execute stories on such a tradition-bound beat.
Using Facebook and CrowdTangle in News
Knowing what your competitors and sources are tweeting and posting can help you stay on top of a beat.
Multimedia Tips For Journalists
Journalists today need to be all things to all platforms. So how can journalists trained on the writing side handle their own graphics and photos?
On-Air TV Tips for Journalists
Journalists need to prepare for time on TV. It’s not just a simple, friendly conversation.
Using Data in Investigative Reporting
Top investigative reporters share their advice on how to use data to find stories nobody else has.
Understanding International Trade Enforcement
Imports have overrun some U.S. industries. While curbing them could help those industries, experts are unsure how other markets will be affected.
Freedom of Information Act 101
A FOIA expert shows how reporters can break through a tangled web of statutes, case law, regulations and written and unwritten policies to pry loose information.
How Reporters Use FOIA
Reporters who use FOIA regularly know the tricks for making it work to your advantage.
Reporting on the Border and Immigration
Reporters covering immigration and border security describe complex beat that is continually in the spotlight.
Understanding the Dynamics of Immigration
Is an agreement on U.S. immigration policy possible in these polarized times?
How Charlie Cook Predicts Elections
Presidential job approval numbers and economic health are key to the outcomes of midterm elections.
The Pros and Cons of Campaign Finance Limits
Two campaign finance experts from different sides of the issue dissect the role of money in politics – and whether it’s good for democracy or bad.
How Campaign Money Drives Politics
In a post-Citizens United world, money has rushed in unprecedented ways to politicians on both sides of the aisle. Four journalists detail how they document it.
Tips for Reporting on Political Polls
In an era of ubiquitous polls – and after problems in polling the 2016 election – two top polling editors give a tutorial on how to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Tracking the Regulatory Process
Laws passed on Capitol Hill get all the glory, but understanding the nitty-gritty of the regulatory process can give reporters a leg up.
Managing the White House Beat
Going to work at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. every day has it perks, but four reporters explain how they work to maintain sources outside as well.
Pinning Down the Truth
Washington Post and PolitiFact journalists describe how fact-checkers debunk falsehoods.
Finding People – and – Stories on Capitol Hill
Congress is a place where laws are made. But for reporters on the Hill, it’s also a massive institution that sometimes spends money in unusual ways worth tracking.
Understanding Redistricting
With a new census on the horizon and control of the U.S. House at stake, the U.S. Supreme Court is trying to decide whether partisan gerrymandering has gone too far.
Covering the Pentagon
For military reporters, the Pentagon offers endless stories – from combat operations to one of the largest HMOs in the world.
How U.S. is Preparing for Global Hotspots
Three experts from think tank Stimson Center give Paul Miller fellows an overview of the key challenges the U.S. faces around the world.
Finding and Protecting Inside Sources
From Signal to WhatsApp, there are several tools reporters can use to keep conversations with sources secure.
Reporting on the Military in an Ever-Hostile World
Is the military well-staffed and technologically advanced enough for handling the range of threats the U.S. now faces?
Unraveling the Federal-State Fiscal Relationship
Some people love to hate Washington, but the fiscal ties between the federal government and states run deep.
Overhauling the Tax System
The tax system is a mess, most experts agree – but changing it is exceedingly difficult. How might it happen?
How the U.S. Debt Ceiling Works
If the federal government can’t pay its debts, it could play havoc on financial markets. So why does Congress regularly threaten to do so?
Understanding How the Federal Budget is Made
Congress rarely passes budgets the way it’s supposed to – but that doesn’t mean the spending stops. Where is federal spending headed next?
Covering Complicated Fiscal Issues
As reporters explore the dysfunctional federal budget process, they should keep in mind who is affected by it (and that doesn’t mean politicians and lobbyists).
‘Shock and Awe’ – How to Dig up the Real Story
Some top investigative reporters share their advice on how to dig deep for stories that would otherwise remain hidden.
Reporters Share Tips for Documenting Campaign Cash
Reporters well-versed in tracking political donations know that the best stories come from deciphering why donors give – and what they expect in return.
Why Limit Campaign Contributions?
Do limits on campaign donations create better governance? Or are they an infringement on free speech?
Understanding Campaign Finance Law
The Legal Framework for the Campaign Finance System Involves More Than Just Citizens United
Following the Money at State and Local Levels
Resources for journalists who want to follow the money trail at the state and local level.
A Reporting Career on the Front Lines
One of the top journalists of the day, Martha Raddatz shared with Paul Miller fellows what she has learned over her career.
How to Report on America’s Military
The Department of Defense is a behemoth, and three reporters skilled in covering it said it’s also filled with endless stories that impact people’s lives.
Is American Military Readiness at Risk?
The military has been stretched thin the past two decades, but that doesn’t mean it’s been depleted. Some tips on how to recognize the difference.
Deciphering the Pentagon’s Budget
Donald Trump campaigned on promises of a big boost in military spending. An expert gives tips on tracking that $600 billion.
Best Practices When You are on TV
When reporters get called to share their expertise on air, they need to remember to sit up straight and stay on-message. A veteran TV producer shares some tips.
Clamping Down on Unfair Trade
Curbing the flow of imports into the United States was one of President Trump’s campaign pledges. Can he accomplish it?
Making the Most of Your Phone
A multimedia producer for USA Today shows that your smartphone is good for more than just selfies.
The Politics of Trade
While Donald Trump won the presidency with an anti-free trade message, public opinion isn’t fixed on that position.
Debunking Myths on Immigration
The flow of immigrants into the United States has waxed and waned over the decades as Congress and presidents responded to demands of the voters.
Understanding the Immigration Beat
Understanding the nuances of the law and the frailities of the human condition are vital to reporting on immigration.
Using FOIA to Crack Government Secrets
FOIA has been around for 50 years, and recent changes could help the press – and the public – get access to government records.
Tips for Reporting on Immigration
11 million unauthorized immigrants live in the United States and thousands more are arrested trying to get here each year.
White House Beat: High Profile, Low Access
As White House access and coverage has changed, reporters on the beat need to find new ways to get information.
A $1 Trillion Pothole?
Can the public-private partnership envisioned by the new administration patch up the nation’s crumbling roads?
Understanding Tax Breaks and Incentives
Tax breaks to keep a company in town are often popular, but reporters need to dig deep to see if they are worth the cost.
Covering the Repeal of Obamacare
Killing President Obama’s signature health care law has been a GOP priority for years; what will happen as it tries to do so?
Undoing 8 Years of Environmental Rules
President Obama expanded environmental regulations through the federal rulemaking process; President Trump will be able to undo them that way as well.
Covering the Halls of Congress
More than other D.C. beats, Congress can be free-wheeling and accessible – especially for the reporters who know where to look and aren’t afraid to ask questions.
What One-Party Control Means
Checks and balances – and politics – will pose some limitations on one-party control at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Covering Executive Power
Even if he didn’t have Congress on his side, Donald Trump will start his presidency with the ability to quickly undo much of what the outgoing president did.
Protecting the Press Pool
Early signs are that Trump White House will stiff-arm journalists, although some access is protected by law.
Making Abstract Budget Stories Come Alive
Two journalists steeped in budget arcana give tips on how to understand what’s actually happening when Congress and the White House talk taxes and spending.
How Federal Spending Affects States
Journalists looking to make Washington spending relevant in home markets are able to track federal spending to statehouses.
Getting a Handle on the National Debt, Deficit
An advocate calling on Congress and the White House to curb their debt addiction says reporters should seek to understand the government’s arcane budgeting process.
The Revolving Door Between Public and Private Service
Experts with political watchdog organization track the so-called “revolving door” between government and special interests – and how reporters can use the information for stories.
Covering a Presidential Transition
Reporters covering a transition in power in Washington are in for some big surprises – and several veteran journalists offer tips on how to deal with them.
Formalizing the Presidential Transition Process
For the first time, a nonpartisan organization is guiding the presidential transition process months before the new president is sworn in.
Making Sense of Political Polls
With landlines disappearing and online methods expanding, pollsters confront a wealth of new challenges to discern political preferences.
Finding Truth in a Fast-Moving Campaign
Expert fact-checkers from The Washington Post, PolitiFact document how they dig in on what candidates say.
Judiciary Beat Offers Insight to Other Beats
Courts offer rich trove of stories and sources, and most of them are overlooked by beat reporters.
Making History Come Alive
In digging up the history of Exxon’s role researching climate change, reporter Neela Banerjee combined shoe-leather reporting with a sophisticated understanding of science.
Digging Deep for a More Compelling Story
Interested in breaking the big story? For these top journalists, doing so takes time, specialized skills and persistence.
Delegate Rules and Covering Conventions
Journalists share their knowledge about covering presidential nominating conventions – and the possibility of a brokered GOP convention.
America’s Roads Often Dangerous by Design
A former federal transportation official says road financing needs to be rethought so cities can be designed better.
Controlling the Airways
Airline expert says U.S. should follow the lead of other nations and restructure its air traffic control system.
Paying for Roads
Transportation expert says Congress needs to revamp how it finances the highway system – and get away from its current “reactionary” approach.
Covering Infrastructure: Roads, Rails and the Grid
Three journalists share tips and strategies for covering the range of America’s infrastructure – from trains to driverless cars of the future.
Lights Out: Risks to the Power Grid
A broadcasting legend and author of a recent book on the electric grid says the nation faces a bigger threat than it realizes.
Finding News by Surfing the Crowd
Whether asking for details on health care costs, or if city streets have been plowed after a big storm, tapping your audience can yield new information.
News on the Go
USA Today’s Jasper Colt, a multimedia producer, offers practical tips for taking and editing photos and videos, with the help of a few easy-to-use apps.
Prying Open Government Secrets
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on how journalists can make the most of public records laws – and also how to best work the system.
How to Prepare for a TV Interview
Do your homework, practice what you want to say, and don’t wear anything that distracts from your message.
White House Beat High on Aggravation
Reporters Devise Strategies to Work Around Limited Flow of Information
Fed Health Spending Huge, Overlooked
For guidance, two veteran journalists offer guidance on experts and the data sources you need.
Reporters find White House Data Out of Reach
A veteran data journalist explains how to find and work with data from the federal government.
