Page 52 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

WORDS: THE FOUNDATION STONE OF JOURNALISM

how you go about preparing for your next assignment, the more
you know before you start, the better off you will be.
• Interviews: Make sure you talk not only to a good number of
people, but also people with a wide array of perspectives. Some
educators and journalists say that you should get as many “sides”
as possible, but in setting yourself up that way, you might lose
out on some good perspectives. Only interviewing people for or
against something sets them in opposition to each other. It also
tends to paint an issue in black or white and ignore the subtle
grays. This kind of broad view is especially important for
personality profiles. Think of the professor who is teaching your
class, for example. As a student, you view that professor in a
certain way. Perhaps the person is an authority figure. Perhaps
the person is viewed as a good leader. Perhaps the person is
viewed as ruling with an iron fist. No matter how many students
you interview, the perspective will always be limited by that
student–teacher relationship. By expanding the list of interview
subjects, you can find out more about this teacher. What does
42 your teacher’s boss think of him or her? Would your teacher’s
spouse add a different perspective? Friends, relatives, and
coworkers all provide some interesting views on your subject.
Even the most powerful person in the world has a mother.
• Never enough: In many cases, time is a huge factor in what you
can gather. Daily deadlines, late-breaking news, and other
delights prevent you from getting as much information as you
would like. As one of my favorite journalism teachers used to
say, “Journalism is never done. It’s just due.” However, when
you have the opportunity to get more information, take
advantage. You might not use it all, but you’re better off having
it and not needing it than needing it and not having it. Get the
extra source or the extra document and you’ll feel secure in
what you are working on. You also want to make sure that you
get additional contact information from your sources, if
possible. This will allow you to contact them outside of the
office if you run into more questions as your story develops.
• Deeper is better: Depth doesn’t always mean unearthing a scandal
and bringing it to light. Depth means a richness of reporting that
can allow the reader to experience the story in a variety of ways.
For example, don’t tell the readers that a fire damaged a house.
Show your readers the charred frame, the blackened windows,