From pitching stories to searching for factual information, there is a lot that goes into being a journalist. To add depth and detail to stories, journalists have been digging into modern tools. This can make the job go a bit smoother and more manageable. Most importantly, the use of digital tools can help journalists create more engaging content for their readers. Here are a few digital tools that all journalists should consider using in their daily writing.
TinEye
This image search engine uses an image identification technology instead of keywords or watermarks. A digital tool like this has become very popular as journalists have become vulnerable to fake news regarding images. When an image is submitted to TinEye they will search the web to determine when it was first used and where. TinEye is the perfect tool to track an image and see how it may have been tampered with in the past.
Google Dataset Search
Very similar to Google Scholar, Google Dataset Search is the best search engine filled with data sources from all over the internet. Many researchers and journalists use this digital tool to find online data at no cost. Google Data search is filled with link results that include dataset descriptions, authors, and publication dates.
IntelTechniques
If you’re an investigative journalist, then this is the digital tool for you. IntelTechniques is a free tool that allows you to search across multiple social media platforms and websites at once. It’s a great background source to help find out information from someone’s public life online. IntelTechniques includes a collection of tools that can skim through Facebook and Instagram posts, documents, and images of any active user online.
Toby
While working on a story, it’s very easy for journalists to have many tabs open at once. Toby is a free bookmark manager that can be downloaded as an extension to your web browser. It’s easy to get mixed up with tabs when it comes to personal searches and works related. Toby allows you to create tab-groups by merely dragging a link into the designated group. This is perfect for journalists who are also working on more than one story at a time.
These were just a few of the most useful digital tools I highly recommend for journalists based on personal use and reviews.