May 28: Locating local stories and reporting them

Today's ( 28-05-2010 - Friday ) class emphasised on how to plan the day's work ;
how to get the real story and how write it.

Some of the tips shared -

Be methodical - do the things in order and in systematic way

Be prepared - make note of background info before going out on an assignment.

Be smart and sharp - be curious and look beyond what you actually see.

HOW TO LOCATE A LOCAL STORY:

- The story can be anything based on your neighbourhood.

- Discover the place & explore it a little bit

- Look at the interesting angles.

- Choose the one which is challenging

- The best place for News are happening hot spots like 24x7 public places.
( Rly station, Bus stops, Religious places, School / Colleges, Beach, Exhibitions, Entertainment places etc., )

WRITING A NEW STORY:

- Write in a way that readers easily get the story.
- Mark and underline the important info you have gathered in your notepad
- The story must contains 5 Ws
( Who, What, Where, When, & Why )
- Keep te story simple & short using simple lines
- Put the most important details in the first paragraph ( also known as lead )
- Vital additional information in second para ( support lead )
- Go on to tell the story
- Recheck the story and then file.