The document provides tips for finding and pursuing original story ideas. It suggests looking for ideas from news, people, social media, newspapers, websites, blogs, conflicts, context, impact, repetition, questions, technology, and inquiries. Crowdsourcing ideas from one's own social media, Facebook pages, groups, hashtags, and requests is also recommended. When pursuing a story, the document advises finding sources, determining real experts, gathering the essential facts of who, what, when, where, why and how much, considering the story elements and form, and collecting any relevant data.

1. Finding & Pursuing
Original Stories
Steve Buttry
the Penny Hoarder
July 14, 2016

2. Continue the conversation
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

3. Your best story idea
Introduce yourself by giving your name,
what you cover for Penny Hoarder and how
long you’ve been working here. And tell
how you came up with the idea for your
best story (recently or ever).

4. Find story ideas from …
• News
• People
• Social media
• Paper
• Websites & blogs
• Conflict

5. Find story ideas from …
• Context
• Impact
• Repetition
• Questions
• Technology
• Inquiry

6. Find story ideas from …
• Ask each source for a story idea
• 5 W’s (& So What? & How Much?)
• Story elements
• Different perspective
• Silent voices
• Crowdsourcing

7. Crowdsourcing
• Your own social media & newsletter
• Special-interest Facebook pages & groups
• Hashtags
• Specific requests
• General requests

11. Beyond your FB page
• Find interested FB pages & groups &
pose crowdsourcing questions there
• Would a hashtag reach an interested
audience?
• Create a Facebook group around a story
or topic you cover?

12. Pursuing your story
• Find sources
• Experts vs. real experts
• 5 W’s (& So What? & How Much?)
• Story Elements
• Data
• Story form (paragraphs, graphic, video …)

13. Continue the conversation
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com