1. Finding Story ideas
Jennifer Cox
http://cmat240summer.wordpress.com

2. objectives
• Discuss ways to find stories
• Discuss ways to manage “big picture” ideas to make
them more workable
• Go over project one requirements

3. Finding stories
• READ
• Calendars
• Web pages
• Newsletters
• Blogs
• Other articles
• Have a time peg
• Awareness months
• Upcoming events (races, fundraisers, festivals)
• Seasonal (fall, winter)
• Historical milestones (anniversaries, etc.)
• Recent findings/studies

4. Finding stories
• Attend meetings/look at agendas
• What items are committees working on?
• Talk with school teachers/administrators/kids
• Professors love to talk about their research!
• GET OUT THERE!

5. Places to look online
• Profnet.com
• Al’s Morning Meeting
• http://www.poynter.org/category/latest-news/als-
morning-meeting/

6. Getting started
• Paring down your idea
• Draw a Web
Obesity and
Obesity Obesity at
summertime
SU
(Broad subject) (Find a smaller audience) (Find a time peg)
Obesity – Obesity – how Obesity –
are people does it affect how does
working out students’ mental summer
more to fit health to see heat affect
into bathing swimsuit models obese
suits? people

7. Where to begin
• Start with a question; not a statement
• Don’t use a question as a lede, though!
Obesity –
are people • Don’t generalize
working out • Most obese people feel pressure to
more to fit slim down during bathing suit season.
into bathing • Let your source generalize
suits?
• Nutritionists at SU have noticed an
influx of obese students beginning in
June. They attribute the rise in clientele
to a need to get in shape for bathing
suit season.

8. Who to talk to
• Find an expert first to get an overview
• Call them often; they have no obligation
Obesity – to call you back
Obesity –
the health
are people
clinic is • Ask the expert general questions
working out
offering low about your topic
more to fit
cost training
into bathing
sessions for • From what he/she tells you, try to
suits?
obese narrow it down further
students • Ask the expert for “real people”
this month
sources
• This could take time to find, so start early

9. Starting to write
• Organize and highlight your notes
• Figure out the order in which you will tell the story
• Identify your good quotes
• Write your nut graph FIRST
• Will help you focus your story and stay on track
• Remember – you’re writing an article, not a research paper
• Figure out your lede:
• Summary or feature lede?

10. Nut graph
• Two parts
• What is the main point of the story?
• Why are you telling me this now? (“time peg”)
• Main point of your story
• Don’t over-generalize
• Stay on topic – don’t veer too far from the nut graph
• Why is this important to the reader?

11. Some tips
• Start EARLY! Call OFTEN!
• Stay objective – present all sides, when possible
• STAY FOCUSED
• Look at examples to establish a rhythm to your article
• Narrative
• Sequential/chronological
• Inverted pyramid
• Establish the conflict
• Some people say this; others believe this

12. Some tips
• Show, don’t tell
• Remember, you are NOT the expert; let your
sources tell the story!
Working out is a good way to lose weight…
• Statement, evidence, quote
• Group like ideas/sources together
Experts agree working out can help students lose weight when
coupled with Karen Smith lost 20 pounds when she began a
YES: a healthy diet.
strict workout regiment this summer…
SU student Karen Smith, 20, said she used to work out multiple days
a week but wasn’t losing weight. When she started making better dietary
choices, she lost 20 pounds in five months.
“I felt great, and it really wasn’t that hard,” Smith said.

13. tips
• Your story MUST have a time peg (no evergreens)
• Color stories
• Live event coverage
• Preview of an event (preparation)
• Reaction piece
• Take a larger issue and get local reactions
• How are people reacting to local items?
• Trend story (tricky!)
• Look at trend affecting locals/students
• Need sources to identify trend – not hearsay!

14. project
• DUE July 27, 5 p.m.
• 2-3 pages
• At least three quoted sources
• NO friends, family or work sources
• Turn in phone numbers for all sources
• Focus on one topic – don’t write an essay
• Aim to publish!
• Email me topic and set up phone conference with
me for Thursday

15. announcements
• Homework: email me story idea
• Current events/readings quiz tomorrow from 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m.
• You will have 10 minutes
• No lecture tomorrow – phone conferences