Go to seminars and all the training sessions you can. Read books about
journalism. Read prize winners at www.pulitzer.org or other places on the
net.
Join a professional organization like SND or NPPA.
Some editors are better than others, and it's worth shopping around at
least occasionally if it doesn't get your supervisor too mad.
Enter journalism contests. If you win, your bosses will be take you more
seriously, let you take more chances and do more to keep you happy. Winning can open
doors to giving you time to improve at the craft. If you lose, who cares -- a
lot of award-winning journalism isn't the stuff readers like, and different
judges like totally different stories.
Ask coworkers you respect for suggestions. But don't bug them too often.
Good books for reporters
Any of the ASNE/Poynter Best Newspaper Writing books
The Associated Press Guide to News Write by Rene Cappon.
The Art and Craft of Feature Writing by William Blundell.
Writing For Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by two-time
Pulitzer winner Jon Franklin.
Good books for VJs
Pure Design by Mario Garcia
Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach, Ken Kobré
The Great Picture Hunt: The Art and Ethics of Feature Picture Hunting
by Dave Labelle
