6 Comments

1. Lisa Song
   02.28.10

   I think the first thing to do is talk to your editors and find what’s called a “rabbi” (at least, that’s what one of the HCN editors calls it)–someone with extensive knowledge of the subject, who’s fairly unbiased, and who can walk you through all the background material. You probably wouldn’t quote this “rabbi” source, but he or she might have a bunch of contacts for you. Also look through your paper’s archives to get context from past coverage.

   Then start calling people, but as you talk to them, ask, “what do you think person X [who disagrees with you] would say about this, and why?” Then call person X to confirm. If your sources give you different numbers/facts, make sure to explain who the sources are, which would explain their allegiances and biases. One of my fellow HCN interns had this problem on a recent nuclear energy story. None of her sources could agree on anything, not even simple cost estimates, so she reported all of their disparate facts and that did a lot to show the contentiousness of the issue.

2. Nicole Norfleet
   02.28.10

   I would quickly use the paper’s archives to look at the last two or three articles about this topic. If I still have no idea what I’m doing, I would talk to one of the writers who wrote that story. I would also call sources that were used in other stories instead of finding my own off the bat. Then ask them whom else I should speak with.

   Normally, when I was given something that I had no clue about it was when there was breaking news or another kind of event that I had to go to right away without preparing for. I remember had to cover the trial of an Episcopal bishop. It was weird. I had no idea what I was doing, and I was just told to go. I ended up writing three stories about it. What helped me was talking to other people in the room for background on breaks even though I didn’t quote them. Talking to different people gave me different sides of the story and helped me fill in gaps.

3. Diane S.W. Lee
   03.01.10

   This seems very familiar! It was my third day. I was working on a short story until one of my editors assigned a breaking news story to me at 5 p.m. I didn’t have the luxury of spending a lot of time interviewing people or refining my story. I had to write quickly. I panicked, because I didn’t know how to cover a topic I was unfamiliar with on a tight deadline.

   To give you a brief summary on the story I was working on: there was an on-going debate the re-alignment of Highway 97 to ease current and potential future traffic problems, but doing so could possibly affect local businesses in the area. The Department of Transportation and steering committee had come to an agreement on one of three options that morning, so I had to write about what’s happening and what’s new.

   It was challenging working on the story, because I had never even driven on that stretch of highway until this weekend. So to get a general idea of the history, I checked the archives to find out what had been written about Highway 97. I interviewed ODOT’s spokesman, who was very patient with me and he answered all my questions such as: How did they come to the decision? Where will the proposed project be located? What’s the goal of the project? How much would it cost and where will the funding come from? What are the next steps? When would construction begin if it were approved by the Federal Highway Administration?

   I felt like I asked a lot more questions than I needed to. But I realized when I was writing the story that I didn’t ask enough questions! I spent most of my time trying to get the details down. I was missing the crucial part of the story: “Who does it affect?” and “Why should people care?” I got a comment about how commuters could be affected, but I missed the side about how businesses along the stretch of Highway 97 could be forced to move. But I was lucky, because a seasoned reporter in the newsroom stepped in and helped me to get that side of the story. It also helped that my source very patient and helpful, despite knowing I was the new reporter in town.

   I learned many, many great lessons that night including:

   -Don’t panic. B-R-E-A-T-H-E!
   -Do a lot of research on the topic and make sure you get the gist of the story before interviewing sources.
   -Ask plenty of questions. Get important details such as street names and numbers (number of people/businesses affected, projected cost and timelines). But don’t forget to get details on how people could be affected.
   -Call back your sources for clarification if you need to. But try to get everything answered in the first call, if possible.
   -Write first, not last!
   -Take excellent notes and don’t rely on an audio recorder. Seriously, those things aren’t reliable when you need them.
   -Don’t be afraid to ask for help from other reporters if you need it. They could give you some helpful advice and sources, especially if they’ve written about it before.
   -Strive to be accurate and fair, even on deadline.

   It was definitely a challenging, but fun learning experience. I’m grateful my editors have kept me busy and treated me like a professional. Of course, I’m still working on my writing, reporting and interviewing skills! But if I’m thrown a breaking news story again, then I’ll know the drill: Calm down and refer to my above lessons learned.

4. colleen
   03.03.10

   Yes, everyone, very practical, efficient, useful suggestions:

   – Find a “rabbi” or two or three;

   – Check the archives to quickly learn 1) where the edge of the story is, 2) which questions you’ll need to ask, and 3) who the immediate players (sources) are;

   – Ask colleagues in the newsroom for a quick grounding in the issue(s) and sources;

   – Talk to people at the meeting or event, including participants, observers and other reporters;

   – and I love Diane’s idea of keeping her advice to herself handy so she can refer to it in the next deadline situation. (Except, Diane, I would change your last bullet to read:” — Strive to be accurate and fair, ESPECIALLY on deadline.” )

   Another trick is to write out a list of questions for emergencies — accidents, fires, crimes — and keep the list at your desk and in your car so you can review it as, or just before, you talk to sources. This helps ensure you’ll not forget to ask an important question.

   The tip I would add is once you’ve got a bit of grounding in the story — and before you get started in earnest on the reporting — write down the most important questions you’ll need answers to and bounce them off your editor. Ask your editor if you’re forgetting anything. This can help ensure that your story will meet her expectations when it’s turned in. The fewer surprises for your editor on deadline, the better. Also, you may want to keep your editor apprised of developments as your reporting progresses.

   Colleen

5. Kiah Haslett
   03.03.10

   At the Trib, I’m either doing breaking news/deadline stories or working on long term enterprise.
   If it’s breaking news, I go online and do as much research as I can while brainstorming who would be good sources, persons impacted, why people should care, etc.
   My editors usually give me the name of another reporter who would have a good source, so i talk to them.
   I research anyone who would have a connection, usually by googling certain words and investigating what comes up. I search using the words “experts” (and look at news articles they’ve been featured in, if any) and professors (I look for what they teach). I look for bloggers that show passion for the subject matter. I call and email what seems like a million people, and as I’m waiting for them to call back, I do more research and form my questions outline.

   I usually end up interviewing twice as many people as I need. If I’m having trouble finding sources close to deadline, I tell my editor what leads I have and where I’ve gotten.

   Like Diane, I know panicking doesn’t help.
   When I don’t know something (sports) or when the topic can become complicated (CPI), I always tell the interviewee to be patient with me and my inane questions, or that I’ll be asking seemingly silly questions because I want the reader to understand.

   Sorry my post is late!

6. Nicole Norfleet
   03.10.10

   What helps for me is to say to an interview subject that I want them to explain to me the issue like I’m a 5-year-old child. It makes it easier for me to understand and honestly you need to almost explain things like that in your story a lot of times because if you didn’t really know that much about, I don’t think your readers necessarily will know everything about it either.