The Journalist's Resource

The Journalist's Resource The Journalist’s Resource is a project of Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

We examine news topics through a research lens. Our mission is to inform the news by bridging the communications gap between academia and journalism. Our goal: to get more high-quality research into the media stream.

We know many of you are feeling burned out by the nonstop news cycle. This piece, published in 2021, offers practical se...
09/19/2025

We know many of you are feeling burned out by the nonstop news cycle. This piece, published in 2021, offers practical self-care tips. Take a break, check it out and share it with anyone who might need a reset.



There may be a silver lining to the traumatic year that last year was. The topic of journalists’ mental health is becoming less taboo.

This tip sheet will help journalists cover the U.S. Department of Education's decision to slash funding for hundreds of ...
09/18/2025

This tip sheet will help journalists cover the U.S. Department of Education's decision to slash funding for hundreds of colleges and universities designated as minority-serving institutions.



Knowing these eight things will help journalists ask better questions and provide more probing coverage of minority-serving institutions.

The US government is paying $1 trillion a year in interest on its debt. This June 2025 piece will help journalists under...
09/17/2025

The US government is paying $1 trillion a year in interest on its debt. This June 2025 piece will help journalists understand the public debt and explain it to audiences.



With interest costs outpacing defense spending, this piece will help journalists understand the public debt and explain it to audiences.

In this piece, researchers, journalists and Indigenous student advocates share tips on covering tribal colleges and univ...
09/16/2025

In this piece, researchers, journalists and Indigenous student advocates share tips on covering tribal colleges and universities, which serve students from over 250 federally recognized tribal nations and a growing number of students with no tribal affiliation.



These six tips will help journalists cover tribal colleges, which prepare tribal citizens to work in and strengthen tribal communities.

In this in-depth explainer, you'll learn the types of public projects that states fund by issuing debt, how states take ...
09/15/2025

In this in-depth explainer, you'll learn the types of public projects that states fund by issuing debt, how states take on debt and why journalists should cover state debt + explore a state-by-state debt database.
# business

Learn the types of public projects that states fund by issuing debt and download an exclusive state-by-state debt database.

The U.S. government has designated more than 800 colleges and universities as minority-serving institutions, either beca...
09/11/2025

The U.S. government has designated more than 800 colleges and universities as minority-serving institutions, either because they were originally created to educate Black or Native American students or because a large percentage of their students today are racial or ethnic minorities. Commonly referred to as MSIs, these schools provide programming and support specifically designed to help students of color — lower-income students of color in particular — succeed in college.

Here are 8 key facts about colleges that serve many underrepresented students.

Knowing these eight things will help journalists ask better questions and provide more probing coverage of minority-serving institutions.

NEW: In this research-based piece, we provide an overview of eating disorders in males, including the latest available d...
09/10/2025

NEW: In this research-based piece, we provide an overview of eating disorders in males, including the latest available data and summaries of studies to help inform news coverage of this underreported issue.

In this research-based piece, we provide an overview of eating disorders in males, including the latest available data and summaries of studies to help inform news coverage of this underreported issue.

In this May 2025 piece, we provide important background info and research to bolster news coverage of potential reductio...
09/10/2025

In this May 2025 piece, we provide important background info and research to bolster news coverage of potential reductions in federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Here's what journalists need to know to bolster their reporting on potential cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

In this 2023 piece, we summarize studies on where PFAS are found, health impacts, the efficacy of consumer water filters...
09/09/2025

In this 2023 piece, we summarize studies on where PFAS are found, health impacts, the efficacy of consumer water filters, new methods of destroying PFAS, and racial disparities in PFAS exposure.

We summarize studies on health impacts, the efficacy of consumer water filters, racial disparities in PFAS exposure, and more.

From the Federal Reserve to the Bureau of Economic Analysis to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are a variety of fr...
09/08/2025

From the Federal Reserve to the Bureau of Economic Analysis to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are a variety of free federal sources journalists can turn to for high-quality data on the U.S. economy.

While these will be most relevant to business reporters, economic issues cut across beats, so journalists covering almost any topic may find these useful. Most data featured here is macroeconomic, meaning it indicates the health of the national economy, or segments of it.

Below, we spotlight 8 data sources reporters should know and use, including several Federal Reserve regional banks. Many sources offer much more information than can be covered here, so think of this tip sheet as a starting point. We’ll update this list periodically, so be sure to bookmark it and share it with your colleagues. And feel free to reach out if there’s anything you think should be added.

This article was published in January 2025.

We spotlight 8 free data sources journalists can use to report on economic issues ranging from GDP and inflation to economic inequality.

In this piece, published in August 2024, we asked health and communication researchers for advice to help journalists co...
09/05/2025

In this piece, published in August 2024, we asked health and communication researchers for advice to help journalists cover school vaccination requirements in the U.S. amid a rise in measles cases and a push by some lawmakers to let more unvaccinated students enroll.

We asked health and communication researchers for advice to help journalists cover school vaccination requirements in the U.S. amid a rise in measles cases and a push by some lawmakers to let more unvaccinated students enroll.

When states take on debt, it’s usually for large infrastructure projects that may benefit multiple generations — for exa...
09/04/2025

When states take on debt, it’s usually for large infrastructure projects that may benefit multiple generations — for example, replacing bridges, building hospitals, or expanding highways and transit systems.

“Unlike the federal government, states generally limit the use of debt to support capital projects, not operating expenditures,” says Kathryn Vesey White, director of budget process studies at the National Association of State Budget Officers and co-author of a recent paper on federal and state fiscal processes.

News reporters are often assigned to cover big capital projects, and that includes understanding the debt that funds those projects. While interest rates on state debt are low overall, if those rates rose that could lead to tough choices for state leaders, including potentially scaling back or scraping capital investments.

While state debt is less of a pressing concern for economists and policymakers than federal debt, there are a few ways state debt could rise in the years to come, including economic recessions and risks from climate change. That’s why it’s important journalists be prepared with a working knowledge of how and why states take on debt.

Keep reading to learn:

Learn the types of public projects that states fund by issuing debt and download an exclusive state-by-state debt database.

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