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4: Research Basics

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    We have explored the field and the basics of what it takes to be a journalist. Now we are going to get into the nitty gritty of developing a story from start to finish. In today's journalism, that story that could take many different forms: a written article, a two to five-minute TV news report, a mini documentary, an Instagram or TikTok story, a podcast episode, etc.

    What will be helpful, though, is to think about this story as one unit, as opposed to a whole podcast season. Why? Because learning how to shape something into a single, focused story is an important part of journalism, especially today. We will focus on a larger project later in the book, one that might take weeks to complete. For now, imagine you have one day (or even just an hour) to complete these steps. Most journalists will have this experience at some point, even if they ultimately do longer work for most of their career.

    Think back to Chapter 3. We are going focus on five steps of that process (Research, Reporting, Telling/Writing, Editing, Spreading).

    And we will start with getting the story framed up before we head out and report on it, which we will call Research, courtesy of the American Journalism Handbook.

    When you are assigned (or find) a news story, the time range that you have to research the story before your first interview can be very wide. Sometimes you might be running out the door to the scene of a news event (a historic building is on fire) just moments after you have heard about it. Other times, you might have hours or even days to get ready for the first interview (a story about fire prevention in historic building). Whenever it is possible, a community journalist wants to do her homework before those interviews. One of the great advantages of a community journalist is we don't "parachute" into a place or group and just cover it when something has gone wrong.

    As you read the next few chapters, you will see how interwoven three key steps to doing journalism are: researching the story to get started, finding and interviewing key resources, and writing the story.

    • 4.1: Story Ideas
      This page highlights the importance of generating and pitching strong story ideas in journalism, especially for early-career journalists. It advocates for leveraging personal experiences and audience understanding, while employing strategies like fostering curiosity, active listening, specializing in a niche, and consuming journalism to spot gaps and trends. Trusting one's instincts about audience interests is deemed essential for successful storytelling.
    • 4.2: News Sources
      This page explores 'news sources,' detailing their role in journalism by providing information like eyewitness accounts and expertise. It emphasizes the dynamics of journalist-source relationships, where authority influences acceptance of views. The page also highlights potential biases stemming from similarities between journalists and sources and discusses how time constraints can affect sourcing decisions.
    • 4.3: Identifying Appropriate Sources
      This page emphasizes the importance of sourcing in journalism, advocating for diverse and expert perspectives to enrich stories. It advises journalists to choose sources based on relevance and story goals, recognizing that expertise is situational and can come from varied backgrounds. The page encourages the pursuit of multiple viewpoints while cautioning against false balance, ultimately aiming to improve the quality of reporting and create more informative narratives.
    • 4.4: Contacting Sources and Arranging Interviews
      This page highlights the essential process of reaching out to potential interview sources in journalism. It underscores the need for politeness, professionalism, and clarity regarding the interview's intent. In-person interviews are preferred, and persistence is vital when facing unresponsive sources, alongside having alternatives ready. Background research on sources aids in building rapport.

    4: Research Basics is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Michael Humphrey, Johnson County Community College.