By Lynn Walsh, RTDNA Blogger

If there is one thing all journalists have in common it's that we are all busy! There are always too many phone calls to make, too many e-mails to send and too many stories to cover.

And if you are anything like me, that means you are probably constantly thinking of multiple things at once. When you are writing an e-mail or making a phone call you are probably also thinking about the next phone call or the next e-mail that needs to be sent.

I am not sure there will ever be a day when a journalist is not busy, but in the rush of things there are a few things that can help you. These are simple tasks and ones that you probably do everyday. But, in the rush of the moment, these are also things that can sometimes be skipped; it has happened to me many times.

1. Spell Check. Journalists tend to be cautious with the spelling used in their stories or on the news web page but what about the other platforms: e-mails, lower-thirds, texts, social media? Whether it is an e-mail to a source or a public relations staff member, take the few extra seconds to hit spell check in your e-mail (it will be less embarrassing later!) I also find myself making mistakes on Twitter more than anywhere else, mainly because I send updates from my iPhone and the little tool called "auto-correct" loves to replace my words with theirs. Make sure to double-check your tweets before they go out, even if you do not see anything underlined in red!

2. Broken Links. Whether it is in a story or a post on Facebook or Twitter, make sure the link you are posting works. For me this happens a lot on Twitter, where I post something and due to the 140 character limit, my link may not work. Take the time to double-check the post, especially if you are sharing a story you want others to read. Most of the time it's not that the link you found is broken, it's probably a more simple reason, like the whole link did not "copy and paste" or it did not fit in the Tweet. I would also suggest checking the link from another device if you can. If you posted it from your phone, check it on a computer. If you posted in on your computer then check it with your phone. Sometimes if you use the same device to check it you may not notice the mistake!

3. Name spelling. This seems like an easy one, but with the fast-pace environment of social media and the Internet, it happens more than before. With television or in videos the spelling may not be as important as the pronunciation (if you do not use a lower-third). But, with the Internet and social media, you now are writing the names of interviewees all the time. Always ask how someone spells their name, even if it is an easy name like "John." And do not rely on the question "is that the traditional spelling?" Now-a-days your "traditional" spelling of a name may not be the same as someone else's.

4. Thank you e-mails. On big stories or emotional pieces this is probably at the top of the list. But, do not forget about all of the other stories and people who help with your story. It takes a few minutes and I normally try to do it while I am waiting in-line somewhere (like the grocery store, bank). Do not forget to include links to the story as well. As journalists we are great at googling something and finding it pretty quickly, but for some people that task may not be as easy.

5. Check other news outlets' facts. Even if you are attributing the fact, take the time to make the call yourself. Sometimes a news outlet can get it wrong and you want to make sure you get it right! Consider calling the reporter who wrote the story and ask them where they received their information and then call that person to verify. This is especially important if it is a topic you are not that familiar with or have only seen reported once.

With so much out there to cover these are some basic tasks that I have found can be skipped over in the rush of things. It is those times that I am especially thankful for my editors!