1. Reporting in the
digital age
@HollyEdgell
St. Louis Society of
Professional Journalists
College Journalism
Boot Camp
Webster University, 9/21/13
“After all, despite all the dire news
about the state of the newspaper
industry, we are in something of a
golden age of journalism for news
consumers. There’s no shortage of
great journalism being done, and
there’s no shortage of people
hungering for it.
-Arianna Huffington

2. Another word about the
digital age
“The students of today actually are going
to create the journalism and mass
communication of tomorrow. You aren’t
stuck in formats created a century ago.
You get to build the new companies and
the new products and the new standards
of the digital age…. New tools create
opportunities to make new rules.”
>>>> Eric Newton, senior adviser to the
president at Knight Foundation
NEW TOOLS

3. Random thoughts
 My motto > “Journalism is about people”
 My other motto > “Have a multimedia state of mind”
 So, what’s the story?
 Purpose or mission
 Is there a news hook?
 Cultivate curiosity
 Storytelling vs. reporting
 Tools
 Techniques, tools, platforms
PEOPLE

4. 2 guys and a tweet
SHOW & TELL

5. So What’s the Story?
 What are you trying to convey?
 Information, humor, emotional impact
 5 categories to consider
 People
 Process
 Place
 Event
 Trends & Data
JUST START

6. Don’t be fooled:
It’s always about PEOPLE
 Who is affected, has been affected or will
be affected?
 Know your audience
 Campus population v. wider community
HUMAN FACTOR

7. Basic sources: human
 Most news organizations will want at least
two real live sources; i.e. people
 THREE is even better
1. Central Compelling Character(s)
> victim, patient, stakeholder, profile subject,
outraged individual
2. Perspective person; expert
3. Observers, opinions
WHAT THE STAKE?

8. So how do you find
people?
 Web search
 Read about it
 Social media
 Go there
 Site visits
 Person on the street
 Ask somebody
 Look around you; who do you know?
TIP: Ask SPJ! Find the local pro chapter
BE A SEEKER

9. Basic sources: Information
 Other media
 Previous/archived stories
 Web sites
 Government
 Business
 Institutions
 Advocates
 Blogs and social media
BE A RESEARCHER

10. Getting interviews
 The media relations or PR person can be
your friend, or at least open the door
 Large corporations, businesses
 Government (all levels)
 Political organizations, parties
 Non-profits
 Institutions; e.g. campus, houses of worship
TIP: If there’s no designated media person,
ask “Who deals with inquiries from the
media?”
KNOW WHEN TO…

11. Getting them to talk
 Start with a phone call
 Try email and social media
 Should you email your questions?
 Go there
TIP > Keep a file/notes on source contact
info. You may need to talk to someone
again.
A FOOT IN THE DOOR

12. When they won’t talk
 Don’t be shy about reporting when
officials or other sources won’t respond or
won’t talk
 Off the record or on background
 Anonymity > Ask why?
TIP: Power of persuasion?
“We really want your perspective.”
“We‟re going to run this story regardless, but we‟d
would prefer to include you rather than use a „no
comment.‟”
TIP: Ask SPJ! Find the local pro chapter
PSYCHOLOGY

13. Examples
 Duck in a truck
 Economy in a box
 Doing Business with the DNC
 The Swing State Story
 Nuns on the bus
 Sarah Palin in St. Charles
 Navigating the City
 Inside Haiti
BOOKMARK THESE

14. Holly’s favorite tools &
techniques
 Curation
 Walgreens & Express Scripts
 Condi at the convention
 Q&A interview
 Politics past & present
 Storify
 Twitter for live events
NEW TOOLS

15. Holly’s favorite source
resources
 SheSource.org
 SPJ Journalists Toolbox
 Expert Sources
 Diversity issues
 Women in Media & News (WIMN)
 The POWER Sources Project
BOOKMARK THESE

16.  Twitter > @HollyEdgell
 me@hollyedgell.com
 www.linkedin.com/in/hollyedgell
 https://www.facebook.com/holly.edgell
 http://www.slideshare.net/hollyedgell
 Blog > http://hollyedgell.wordpress.com
Let’s connect!
SOCIALIZING