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To me, reporting should be done holistically, where staff members consider sources, photos, graphics and structure together. Each interview should be addressed with utmost professionalism. This means communicating the angle of a story in detail, asking clear questions, and expressing gratitude for each person's time.
Brainstorming Stories
Brainstorming Stories
One of the biggest struggles for new members on staff is the pitching process. Many cannot ideate thoughtful story ideas that will fit our print structure. To combat this issue, I try to generate at least five of my own story ideas that can be given to staff members. I keep an updated list of events and policy occuring locally and on the state level. I have also led "pitching circles" where our staff works together to generate page concepts. This example below is an informal way I combine my story ideas and clippings from other papers.
We keep an organized spreadsheet for each edition that tracks who has pitched stories and what is approved. This ensures that all editors are on the same page in the production cycle.
Preparing for Interviews
Preparing for Interviews
Below are examples from a story I just wrote that exhibit the steps I take to prepare for interviews. I encourage all of our staff to take similar steps when drafting emails and questions to uphold The Chronicle's integrity and reputation. Our staff writers are always encouraged to have three or more sources per story.
Teacher Interview Questions.docxThis story uses a variety of sources and perspectives. When writing it, we discussed a sensitive topic and tried to make it accessible to people of all backgrounds.
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