Meetings and speeches
- Look for one main point, and make that point the focus of story
- Remember, your main obligation is to the reader
- Tell public what the government is doing
- Focus on what’s most important, significant, or interesting about the speech or meeting. Don’t try to include everything
- Look for the impact on readers and explain that in the story
- Include audience reaction and setting
- Get reaction to the speech
- Stay away from internal politics or in-jokes
- Include background (what will the readers need to know about the disposition of the story to understand its context?)
- Write an advance piece (either for publication, or just for your own coverage preparation)
- Do you homework before
- Know characters
- Ask questions, but don’t become an active participant—you’re not the story
- Write the story soon as possible
- Police and courts
- Accuracy is everything
- Understand the legal system
- Remember, people are innocent until proven guilty
- Develop a good relationship with law-enforcement
- Treat police with respect
- Police have their job, reporters have theirs
- Be an objective observer
- Report final disposition of cases you cover
- Accidents: look for causes and the use of safety equipment
- Avoid jargon
- Avoid “allegedly”
Disasters and tragedies
- Remember the basics
- Be there
- Stay in touch with newsroom while your out covering the story
- Use the scene, then use the newsroom—work the phones
- Don’t forget the human element
- Keep perspective
- Don’t make bad situation worse by getting in the way
- Cooperate
- Talk to ordinary people affected by the event(s)
- Express condolences to people who have lost loved ones
- Give people an opportunity to talk
- Look for stories others have missed
Obits
- Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy
- Check your publication’s policies about obits
- Understand the role of funeral directors (they are usually the first contact)
- Remember, you’re profiling a person’s life, not just their death
- Everyone has a story
- Contact next of kin
- Cause of death (check policy)