• News stories usually come from:
  • events that are sudden and unpredictable;
  • events that are scheduled and predictable;
  • news releases alerting the media to noteworthy events or topics;
  • ideas generated by readers, editors or reporters; and
  • your own ideas.

• Sources provide the raw material that reporters turn into stories. Without them, there is no news. Reporters are only as good as their sources.
• Every reporter must learn how to:
  • select sources for relevance;
  • check sources for accuracy;
  • balance sources for fairness; and
  • cultivate sources for tips and future story ideas.
• The more sources you use, the better the depth, context and reliability of your reporting will be.
• The main types of sources to consult:
  • newsmakers
  • spokespeople
  • experts
  • official records
  • reference material
  • ordinary people
• What does it mean to "attribute" something to a source?
• What do journalists mean when they talk about "anonymous" sources?
• How do you decide whether a source is reliable?

• For the reporter, the Web is the ultimate research tool—if you use it in an efficient, responsible way.

The Reporter's Webliography

• Research & reference suggestions
• Useful search engines
• Journalism tips & tools

The Eleventh Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Plagiarize

• Plagiarism can ruin a reporter's career. Some ways to avoid committing plagiarism:
  • quote and credit the source;
  • paraphrase, while still crediting the source; and
  • rework and reword the idea until it's more yours that theirs.

• Try using directories AND search engines.
• Bookmark your favorite search sites and get familiar with them.
• Keep keywords as specific as possible.
• Study the site's search syntax.
• Watch your spelling.
• Before you link to Web sites, study their addresses to assess their professionalism.

• Authority
• Accuracy
• Objectivity
• Timeliness

• E-mail
• Newsgroups
• Blogs

• The ability to observe events accurately and record details faithfully is the secret to great reporting.
• Sight
• Sound
• Action
• Emotion

• What's the best way to record the facts and quotes you gather for a story? It all starts with your notebook.
• A typical page in a reporter's notebook
• Which is the best way to take notes? A look at the pros and cons of:
  • notebooks
  • tape recorders
  • typing

INTERVIEWING

Ask Yourself: "Which Type of Interview Should This Be?"

• Long, formal interview
• Quick phoner
• Walkaround
• On-the-fly chat
• Backgrounder

• Setting up the interview
• Preparing for the interview
• During the interview
• After the interview

Always Strive for Racial and Gender Balance

"On the Record," "Off the Record," "On Background" and "On Deep Background"

• Quotes make stories more appealing and believable.
• How do you use quotes in a story?
  • Direct quotes
  • Partial quotes
  • Paraphrasing
  • Dialogues

• Problems to avoid when using quotes in stories (eight tips)
• Punctuation advice for using quotes in stories

• Collect facts, opinions and quotes from the best possible sources—then attribute them.

Nine Guidelines for Wording and Positioning Attributions

Should It Be "Said" or "Says"?

• News stories are almost always written in the past tense.
• But the present tense is appropriate for reviews, feature stories and broadcast newswriting.

Examples of Attribution in a Typical News Story

• Using figures can help make your stories more relevant and readable.
• A brief review of:
  • calculating percentages
  • figuring the mean and the median
  • working with polls and surveys
• Reporter's Guide to Information Charts and Graphs:
  • pie charts
  • line charts
  • bar charts
  • fast facts