First Jobs: Story Generation
BiB Contributor | Haley Cihock
Looking for story ideas? They’re at your every turn…
Many of the best ideas come from simply being an active participant in your community. Join a variety of organizations that offer different perspectives on the micro-world around you. In the past, I’ve been a mentor for a student who lived in a neighborhood very different from mine. I got to see a part of my city where my daily activities wouldn’t normally take me, and it sparked more than one idea for a meaningful news report. I also volunteer for an organization dedicated to our music community, which combines something I love with a treasure trove of great stories.
Be an observer. As you go about your daily routine, watch for changes in the scenery, changes in the weather, changes in attitudes. If you see construction on your commute, ask questions about the project going on, its goal, and the end result. If you overhear an interesting conversation at the grocery store, ask what the issue is (politely, please. Don’t be creepy…).
Reading and watching other news sources is a must. But we don’t usually want to steal a story outright. So see if you can use it as a launching point. Take a story you read in a local publication and ask, ‘What’s next?” That answer could craft your next report. Or report the issue from a different perspective.
Topical blogs are also a great place to mine story ideas, especially if you’re a beat reporter who can tap into some focused, specialized writers in your area. Just keep in mind, blogs are quite often not credible sources, and any ideas they present as facts should be verified.
As soon as you begin reporting, begin fostering relationships with sources, leaders in your city or in your field of focus. Regular calls to those people, just to check in, will generate some of your best stories, as will routine calls to emergency agencies in your area, just to see where they’re working at the moment.
It’s also a good idea to keep files on your ongoing stories for follow-up later. For example, last week, we had massive flooding in our area. This week, we went back just to check on the clean-up process. Tragedies like that don’t resolve themselves immediately. And if you’re reporting on an unresolved issue – whether it’s a criminal case or a construction project, a political fight or a government promise – most newsrooms will hold you accountable for reporting any new developments or changes in that story. And on a dry day, pulling out your previous stories to see if one deserves a follow-up could save you.
Observe your surroundings. Ask questions. Participate in the community. Read – a lot. Foster relationships. Track new developments on old stories.
Voila! Brilliant ideas.
