Reporting Business and Human Rights: A Handbook for Journalists, Communicators and Campaigners
Key Guidance
UNDP (2021), 116 pp.
"This handbook is broadly divided into three sections: this first focuses on understanding business and human rights, its themes and topics. The second part looks at the practicalities of reporting business and human rights stories: from finding ideas and spotting stories through to the process of research and carrying out interviews. The third part looks at how you can tell business and human rights stories, and ‘sell’ them to your audience and editors. Whilst some media law is discussed, it is as general introductory information only and should not be construed as or relied upon as legal advice." (Page 8)
PART ONE: UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE
Introduction, 6
Understanding the issue, 8
What is business and human rights? 10
Business and human rights timeline, 12
Terminology, 14
Story ideas, 16
Protect, respect, remedy, 18
Nurturing sources, 20
Who report on business and human rights? 22
Knowing your audience, 24
Ethics: scenario exercise, 26
What is work? 28
The Interview: Charles Autheman, 30
Policing fashion, 32
Safety in the workplace, 34
The Interview: Louise Hulland, 36
Gender justice, 38
The Interview: Salil Tripathi, 40
PART TWO: REPORTING BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Reporting business and human rights, 42
Types of journalism, 44
What makes a good story? Scenario exercise, 46
What makes a good story? Editorial values, 48
Spotting the story: what’s the top line? 50
The Interview: Emma Harbour, 52
Journalists under attack, 54
Staying safe, 56
Arms expenditure, 58
Digital security, 60
Staying safe checklist, 62
Food, and human rights, 64
Tea’s dark secrets, 66
The Interview: Margie Mason, 68
The news cycle, 70
Accuracy, 72
Verification, 74
Misinformation, disinformation and fake news, 76
The Interview: Annie Kelly, 78
Reporting the environment, 82
The circular economy, 84
Achieving balance, 86
Newsroom challenges, 88
Building a contacts book, 90
How to be an investigative journalist, 92
Partnerships and campaigns, 94
Editorial independence, 96
PART THREE: TELLING THE STORY
Telling the story, 98
Choosing a medium, 100
The podcast effect..., 102
Using a style guide, 104
Media law, 106
News versus features, 108
Creative storytelling techniques, 110
Making ethical media, 112
Checklist, 114
Introduction, 6
Understanding the issue, 8
What is business and human rights? 10
Business and human rights timeline, 12
Terminology, 14
Story ideas, 16
Protect, respect, remedy, 18
Nurturing sources, 20
Who report on business and human rights? 22
Knowing your audience, 24
Ethics: scenario exercise, 26
What is work? 28
The Interview: Charles Autheman, 30
Policing fashion, 32
Safety in the workplace, 34
The Interview: Louise Hulland, 36
Gender justice, 38
The Interview: Salil Tripathi, 40
PART TWO: REPORTING BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Reporting business and human rights, 42
Types of journalism, 44
What makes a good story? Scenario exercise, 46
What makes a good story? Editorial values, 48
Spotting the story: what’s the top line? 50
The Interview: Emma Harbour, 52
Journalists under attack, 54
Staying safe, 56
Arms expenditure, 58
Digital security, 60
Staying safe checklist, 62
Food, and human rights, 64
Tea’s dark secrets, 66
The Interview: Margie Mason, 68
The news cycle, 70
Accuracy, 72
Verification, 74
Misinformation, disinformation and fake news, 76
The Interview: Annie Kelly, 78
Reporting the environment, 82
The circular economy, 84
Achieving balance, 86
Newsroom challenges, 88
Building a contacts book, 90
How to be an investigative journalist, 92
Partnerships and campaigns, 94
Editorial independence, 96
PART THREE: TELLING THE STORY
Telling the story, 98
Choosing a medium, 100
The podcast effect..., 102
Using a style guide, 104
Media law, 106
News versus features, 108
Creative storytelling techniques, 110
Making ethical media, 112
Checklist, 114
