Where should I look for story ideas?
Short answer: everywhere. The only bad story idea is one that isn't well thought‐out. You don't have assigned beats- but you'll probably gravitate toward topics you're interested in. That's OK- but remember to stay versatile.
For some tips on where to look for story ideas, scroll down. For numerous examples of what NOT to do during a pitch meeting, check out Newsy's parody of The Office. Disclaimer: while Christina did really work at CNN, she does not actually hate student interns. |
Newsy is by nature not a breaking news outlet but we do cover the big stories of the day. A story pitch should ALWAYS be:
- New (Do not pitch old news unless you have a new angle)
- Compelling (Would YOU want to watch your story?)
- Trending (Make sure the story has garnered enough coverage)
- New (Do not pitch old news unless you have a new angle)
- Compelling (Would YOU want to watch your story?)
- Trending (Make sure the story has garnered enough coverage)
You will usually pitch your stories to editorial leads (Byrne, Madison, Zach Toombs, Sparkman, Zima, or Brice) during the week and on weekends.
Before you pitch:
To start you off, here are a few places we like to check for story ideas:
- www.google.com/news
- www.memeorandum.com
- www.techmeme.com
- www.newspulse.cnn.com
- www.frequency.com
- http://interceder.net
Feel free to find story ideas on your favorite blogs or news sites as well, just make sure there is enough coverage to turn it into a Newsy story.
Before you pitch:
- Check the planner. Make sure we aren't already working on your pitch.
- Make sure there is at least one video about your topic
- Know the basics: what happened? When? Who is involved? How are people reacting?
To start you off, here are a few places we like to check for story ideas:
- www.google.com/news
- www.memeorandum.com
- www.techmeme.com
- www.newspulse.cnn.com
- www.frequency.com
- http://interceder.net
Feel free to find story ideas on your favorite blogs or news sites as well, just make sure there is enough coverage to turn it into a Newsy story.
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
- Rudyard Kipling
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
- Rudyard Kipling