Every Friday, Journalism.co.uk brings you a round-up of our week’s top stories, giving you all the information you need to know, wherever you are.

Here is the latest journalism news from this week:

Why the Financial Times used drama to help audiences understand the impact of Brexit on the Irish border

Image by the Financial Times

The Financial Times has used drama to explore the impact of Brexit and the uncertainty of the future of the Irish border.

In a short film starring Belfast-born actor Stephen Rea, the publisher aimed to encapsulate the emotions associated with this issue in a way that is more difficult to achieve in formal reports.

"The border is so much more than facts and figures – it is about history and identity," said Juliet Riddell, head of new formats, the Financial Times.

"I instinctively felt like something fictional and dramatic would be a good way to approach the issue."

The film, which was shot over a day, was written by journalist and playwright Clare Dwyer Hogg, who grew up in Northern Ireland.

'Human connection is key': the importance of building trust in street portrait photography

The saying goes that the best camera you have is the one you have got, so taking pictures with your smartphone is something reporters should become comfortable with.

After all, you never know when you will need to capture the scene in front of you, whether that is a breaking news event or poignant image that can help visualise your latest project.

If you are not used to taking portrait photographs, approaching strangers in the street can be nerve-wracking. But the array of characters, ages and relationships you will find is priceless.

How to improve diversity in your news organisation: takeaways from D Word 3

With women only making up 28.9 per cent of on-screen roles at major sports media events, including only a 3.25 per cent representation from BAME women and 2 per cent from Asian communities (BCOMS, 2018), how can sports media improve its diversity?

Representatives from major UK sports publications including BT Sport, The Sun, Channel 4 and Sky Sports discussed diversity initiatives at D Word 3 this week (8 October), offering potential solutions to the lack of women, and how the media organisations can prevent anti-LGBT language or behaviour in the workplace.

How Buzzfeed reaches audiences at home through their Netflix ‘pop-doc' series Follow This

BuzzFeed News has been shining a light on its reporters in its own Netflix show, allowing audiences to follow their work as they explore the cultures and communities which emerged online.

Now in its second series, 'Follow This' sees Buzzfeed News reporters like senior culture writer Bim Adewunmi undertaking a range of activities, from firing a pistol to riding in a horse and carriage, exploring topics such as African-American doomsday survivalists and the Amish romance novel industry.

The aim is to take audiences on a visual journey through the life of a reporter and demonstrate the experiences that journalists often have to get a story.

'We are not so different from each other': why Louis Theroux believes human connection is the key to storytelling success

"Storytelling is about connection," said Louis Theroux, British documentary filmmaker and broadcaster, at this year's Festival of Marketing this week (10 October).

"A lot of what I have done has been deliberately taking myself out of my element and putting myself in uncomfortable situations — but we are not so different from each other."

Theroux, who has covered issues from white supremacy to the porn industry, has certainly found himself in unusual circumstances over his career, aiming to capture the different beliefs and lifestyles of people around the world.

Podcast: newsrewired sneak peak

With our newsrewired digital journalism conference taking place on 7 November in London, this week's podcast catches up with a few of our confirmed speakers to give you a taste of what they will be talking about.

Experts from Vogue International and Press Association offer their insights into how to grow audiences online and make AI your best friend in the newsroom, and much more. Save the date and we will see you there.

Book your place for newsrewired now. The tickets (£190+VAT) give you access to the full-day conference on Wednesday 7 November 2018 and include lunch and refreshments, as well as after-event networking drinks and a delegate ‘goodie’ bag. 

Why not treat yourself to an extra day's training before the conference? Journalism.co.uk will be hosting a full day of training the day before the conference, running two hands-on workshops at The Bridge in London.

Bag your newsrewired+ ticket here.

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