Stories can come from scheduled events like community festivals or press conferences, unscheduled events like crimes or accidents, political events at various government levels, reactions to current events by gathering local feedback, profiling interesting local people, niche beats with developed sources, social media as a source of ideas and crowd-sourcing, following the money behind plans and proposals, and being curious by asking questions about the world around you.

1. Where Do Stories Come
From?
COM 13500 Introduction to Journalism

2. Today’s Concepts

3. Does the Story Fit the Medium?
Content and Media-Specific Strengths
TV: works for sharing emotion and
experiences and utilizing visuals.
Print: works for providing depth and
context with text.
Online: incorporates BOTH of the
above—and audience interactivity.

4. Where do
news stories
come
from?
Flickr: Marco Arment

5. • Scheduled or Upcoming Events
– Courts – trials, hearings
– Community festivals
– World Series anyone?
– Homecoming
– Press conferences/press releases
– Holiday stories
– New data released

6. • Unscheduled Events
– BREAKING NEWS!
• Crimes, arrests
• Searches
• Fires
• Major accidents
• Chemical plant explosions
• Police scanner (beat calls)

7. • Political Events
– Local, national and international
– City and county council meetings,
school boards
– State and federal legislative
agendas
– Elections
– Political scandals
– Political protests

8. • Current Event Reaction Stories
– Gather feedback from those
impacted by a news event
– Example: reaction to death of
Steve Jobs, Cardinals in World
Series, etc.
– Viewers/readers reach out to
you with a story idea.

9. • Personal People Profiles
– Interviews with local
people who have an
interesting story to tell

10. Niches/Beats With
Developed Sources:
– Health
– Business
– Education
– Sports
– Politics

11. • Social Media
– Hear what
people are
talking about –
LISTEN!
– Connect directly
with your
audience
– Stay up to date
with news
– “Crowd source”

12. • Follow the Money
– Find out who has a
financial stake in
something
– Discover who is
financially backing a
plan/candidate/proposal

13. • Be Curious! (number one
piece of advice!)
– Look, listen, ask questions
about the world around you.
– Don’t be afraid to ask WHY?
– Talk with local residents in
your community. Be where
they are.