Top stories on Journalism.co.uk in 2015

The number of images and videos posted online in the past few years has been growing at great speed, and with more information out there to sort through as well as new formats to explore, journalists have been on the lookout for new tools to help them along the way.

So the top 10 most read stories from Journalism.co.uk in 2015 have mostly dealt with exploring handy apps and websites to allow journalists to source, produce and share stories more efficiently.

Here's a run through our most popular articles between 1 January and 31 December 2015, based on data from Google Analytics.
   
1. Find a #JeSuisCharlie gathering near you with this map

One year ago today, ten journalists and two policemen were killed in an attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Solidarity demonstrations and vigils were held across the world, and developers from French national newspaper Le Monde mapped all the gatherings in one interactive.

Our post highlighting the map was the most read piece from 2015 on Journalism.co.uk.
   
2. 20 tools and resources every journalist should experiment with

There's no shortage of journalism tools out there, but the number of options available can make it hard to determine which ones are the best for various situations.
   
We put together a list of 20 must-try tools to help journalists every step of the way, from finding stories to reporting, producing and distributing them.

3. Google Chrome browser extensions for journalists
  
Following on from the digital helping hands in the piece above, our third most popular story in 2015 looked at useful Chrome extensions for journalists.
   
From social media analytics and verification tools to research and productivity apps, there are many ways you can make your life easier if you use Chrome. And if you're a Firefox user, we've got you covered too.
    
4. 5 apps for journalists to record phone interviews

Journalists can now reach more sources than ever before online, but the telephone interview has remained a newsroom staple.

There are a number of apps out there than can help you record phone calls, but depending on the type of phone you use, finding a reliable one can be a headache.

Check out our recommendations in the article above, and remember to test every new app extensively before relying on it for an important interview. And also make sure you know the law around recording phone calls in your country.
   
5. NPR releases open source social media tools for newsrooms
   
That visual social media posts get more engagement than text-only ones is not news to anyone anymore, and newsrooms have started developing their own social tools to help them create the best cards or photos to accompany a story on Twitter or Facebook.
   
NPR have open-sourced their social media kit, the Lunchbox suite, to allow other journalists to access their tools and customise them to better suit their activity on these platforms.

6.  Key principles behind the new Guardian website
 
The Guardian redesigned its website in January 2015 to combat 'visual fatigue'. This piece provides an in-depth look at the factors that influenced the new design, and at what the Guardian aimed to achieve with the site in 2015.
   
7. How the Guardian is building a homepage for the social media age
  
We spoke to the Guardian again in November about their take on the 'death of the homepage', as a growing number of readers now come to news sites from social networks.

The title redesigned its international homepage in October, and also introduced an offline version for readers who access the site without an internet connection.
   
Matt Wells, senior digital editor, explained how analytics inform editorial choices about stories featured on the homepage.
   
8. 7 tips for students seeking journalism work experience
  
Getting work experience in journalism has never been a walk in the park. From getting in touch with news outlets and putting together a good cover letter, to making the most of your time in the newsroom, there are many steps along the way that can raise questions or even cause anxiety.
   
We spoke to Sky News, Trinity Mirror Regionals and a careers writer to shed some light on the process and highlight key advice for student journalists going into the newsroom for the first time.
   
9. App for journalists: Automatic Call Recorder for Android
   
Our most popular app for journalists in 2015 was Android Call Recorder, a tool to help you record phone interviews and add notes to your audio files.

Once set to automatically record calls, your phone interviews will be saved even if the app is not open at the time – but again, make sure you are familiar with the law around recording calls in your area before using this app or any similar ones.
   
10. Instagram image search tools for journalists
 
Social media has become an important source of images and videos for newsrooms in recent years, but searching for posts is more difficult on some social networks than others. Twitter might have advanced search tools, but Instagram doesn't make things so easy.
   
Journalism.co.uk took a look at some of the third party apps and sites out there than can help you find what you're looking for quicker, whether searching by location or related hashtags.

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