Journalism Tips 35. Why every reporter should know their history.

In order to interview and write intelligently every decent reporter should be able to rely on some residual historical knowledge of their own. While Wikipedia may solve many of the problems while sitting in the office it is very little use while in the middle of an interview.
Similarly if you don't know what to ask Wikipedia for you are never going to find it. For example if there is a dustman's (or as they are know doubt called now a peripatetic disposable environmental logistical transition officer) strike and you know nothing of the Winter of Discontent than you won't be looking for it and more importantly you won't feature it in your story.
Some years ago I spoke to a reader while on a local newspaper and he complained: "The problem is that most local reporters are just thick. The editors are usually alright - but even then sometimes..."
It is not my view. Although given the paper I was working on at the time I could see how he may have reached that conclusion.
As a general rule of thumb I'd say it is worth having a detailed understanding of the recent (five years) events), reasonable background on the past 100 years and a decent amount of knowledge on overall British history.
You see, unlike science - people will expect you to know something about the past. (Scientists are a far more understanding mob than most people and they know the chances are that the day you flunked your GCSE chemistry was the last day you ever looked under a microscope. A little tip when interviewing anyone esp scientists about their work wait for them to finish their explanation before picking up your pen and then asking if they could put it into layman's terms for the readers...you understand the concept, of course, but you feel their words would be so much better. (This usually works until the day that someone responds that they WERE using layman's terms and your general ignorance is revealed)).
So why is history important? The chances are if you are working on locals you will have to cover the usual fare of anniversaries these are usually dull and uninspiring reads generally brought about by a complete lack of interest on the behalf of the reporter to the subject matter. By knowing of the events we can better understand the person's role in them and contextualise it within our story.
Again this is not about having a detailed history - we are still writing a story - but a general over view that stops us looking ignorant. It is a surefire way to lose the respect of the interviewee..alternatively a little knowledge can go a long way.

For a readable overview of British history it's worth reading This Sceptred Isle which romps through the 20th Century...there are also CDs and, no doubt, downloads.

32. Keep old telephone directories. With more people going ex-directory, they are a valuable source for finding people.

This is about as simple as it gets...although not particularly useful on work experience it is fantastic for offices.

One of the most basic sources of information is the humble telephone directory. Once upon a time it contained practically everybody - today all it has got are a couple of old ladies who didn't realise they could go x-d, a local vicar and a few assorted oddballs.

Holding on to old directories is a first step to finding people. This fade for only divulging minimal information to the wider world but everything to Google is relatively new.

Got a directory going back even five or six years and there will be a lot of detail. So never throw them away, even if your paper has spent money on a Trace programme.

Actually go one step further and hold on to any you find. It might just give you the break you need.

25. If in doubt ASK. But don’t over do it. If you want to know if a word is hyphened look in a dictionary or online.

As journalists we are expected to ask questions — sometimes even pretty dumb ones..

(My favourite is to wait for an expert to finish some particularly complicated explanation before adding: "Yes, I get it. But how would you explain that to the layman?" Often mumbling something about wanting it in their own words. However the stupid question is often necessary to extract the raw emotion of the situation. You may see the emotions etched on the faces of, say, a family who has lost a loved one but still need to ask how they are feeling to get the quote.)

No, dumb questions are sometimes required.

Except in the office. And certainly not from the workie who wants to become a journalist.

So keep your questions to a minimum (except the best ones such as: "Would you like tea or coffee?").

A personal favourite was told to me by a friend. A secretary was escorting a potential trainee out of the office when he asked if the paper he had just been interviewed for was a daily or a weekly.

(He didn't get the job...but he's probably now editing something on the web.)

Write everything you are told down, few things rile people more than having to keep telling a student journalist the same thing over and over again.

Remember you have a huge dictionary, atlas, encyclopaedia, gazetteer sitting on your desk - and hopefully you will have been able to switch it on - all by yourself. (Actually it is amazing the number of workies who can't...instead they sit there waiting for the news editor to crawl on their knees to get to the on button - once you've established it's your desk for the week please feel free to switch the bloody thing on.)


So don't go asking how do you spell something like onomatopoeia - check it quietly to yourself online (like I've just had to - having missed the fourth "o"). Actually, if ever tempted to use the word onomatopoeia, don't.

Also don't use the word psephologists (which I can spell and which I did once) it's flash and an unnecessary technical term...I'll let you look it up.

Certainly don't ask things like is the local MP Conservative or Labour - especially if doing work experience in, say, the U.S., Australia or Scotland.

Just be careful not show off your ignorance. If you can possibly avoid it. Here's another from an agency news editor: "I had to tell a new junior who Belinda Carlisle was the other day."

Don't ask. Just nod, make sure you get the name right and then check it online as soon as you can.

You should also pick your time to ask questions. When you see everyone getting stressed, staring intently at screens and barking down the phone with a little bit more intensity than they were four hours before is NOT a time to start asking dumb questions...

Btw if anyone can put this clip onto YouTube I'd be able to upload it onto here. Thanks.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-WQEVJ7b7nhbbYt/the_paper_1994_racing_towards_deadline/

Oh and if you find this useful - please RT.

16. When someone new takes a prominent job in your area use the internet to check their views/past. Don't rely on prs.

It really can't be stressed enough that whenever possible you should always go back to source.

And that equally applies to people.

A new appointment is often accompanied by a press release telling you everything you need to know about the post-holder.

Or more to the point everything they (note the sinister use of italics) want you to know about their latest appointee.

Frequently there is a whole history out there that no one is telling you about - and for a few taps on the computer or a couple of calls you can dig up a whole page lead length of story...or indeed uncover useful facts.

Take this for example about Cornwall Council's new Corporate Director for Children, Schools and Families. That story appeared in the Daily Mail and, horror of horrors, involves ringing someone outside the patch. But it is a relatively simple thing to do.

As I showed a reporter while editor of a paper in Dorset with the instalment of a new creative director for a local theatre.

Just tap there name into Google and see what happens. The result was a front page splash for the Lyme Regis edition of the paper. (I doubt if the tip was ever used again after I left but it does work).

Not quite sure what it is about theatre directors but I used it in Cornwall as you can see it doesn't always have to be controversial but it gives some idea of the person taking the reins and gives some indication of their intentions based on their previous experience...ok and it got me an extra few pars.

The fact is that by going back to source you can find all a person's friends and enemies - why did they leave? Was it under a cloud or will they be missed? What can the workers expect? Is he a hatchet wo/man or a great boss? What is their philosophy? Actually do they even know what philosophy means?

Essentially what you are doing is taking it one step further than what the normal person would do. You should be informative - simply ripping off the presser and chucking in a couple of "I'm delighted" quotes ain't good enough...or perhaps it is.

But it can mean the difference between a back of the book page lead and a front page splash. It will also help during interviews - background is important, you can expand on themes from previous interviews; see if opinions have changed or been tempered by previous experiences. In short it gives you a starting base that is so much more useful than a press release.

And make no mistake - everyone - who is anywhere even near management in 2012 will have an Internet presence. And if they haven't - start making lots of calls.

Btw. If you read and find useful please RT using one of the buttons below - thanks!

11. There is nothing clever about not using Twitter, Google, Facebook, MySpace &c. they are useful tools for reporters.

It is really quite amazing how many journalists resist using social media...actually scrap that because we know how much information can be farmed from social media and obviously are exceptionally wary of it all.

But really it can't be ignored and the sooner you get to grips with it the better. In fact it is probably no small exaggeration to say that, as a junior reporter, you have no place in a modern newsroom if you don't "get" social media.

And yet there are many that don't - it seems they walk into a newsroom and immediately think that the large screen in front of them is purely a rather flashy typewriter.

The number of 20ish year olds I've had to tell to use Google to look something up is mind-boggling (this being the most computer-literate generation ever).

By the time you enter a newsroom you should be at least able to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. But also be aware of others such as MySpace, FriendsReunited, Bebo and so on...although less popular they still contain information - and photographs - about a great deal of people.

Plus you should be learning any new systems that set-up.

They won't always be able to help and they certainly do not replace traditional newspaper skills - certainly not the doorstep.

But these are useful and transferrable skills (and part of the reason I'm trying out this blog).

Btw any other suggestions as must-know please feel free to let me know.

Tomorrow: It may be the dullest newsroom or you could get dumped in a corner and forgotten about for a week...but smile, smile, smile....

8. Use a newspaper’s in house library system. It can provide important background information to improve your story

The chances are when you start at a local newspaper - even if you've been very good and been reading it for weeks - you won't be from the area.

And even if you are it doesn't mean you will have a grasp of every planning application, political row or even change in the High Street.

This is why you should familiarise yourself with the in-house library. The system which - on theory at least - all the clippings and photographs are stored...well at least for the past decade or so.

Unfortunately in the rush to save space in the dawn of the computer age many newspapers threw out their clippings libraries - and newspapers have been suffering ever since.

But let's work with what we have. The in-house library helps with giving background which can improve your stories no end.

The obvious and most basic example is the on-going story, looking back gives you important background information.

It can also help with finding taking heads - see the previous blog on quotes - who can assist you.

If you are writing a backgrounder - rare on most locals in this age when a lot of editors seem to have a fear of stories that take more than 10 minutes to write up and are longer than 250 words - the information is invaluable.

It provides a first source.

As I warned you I would use examples of some of my old stories - not because they are particularly good - but easy to find.

Here you can see how using the newspaper's library helps fill in details and provides a starting off point for interviews with his family and friends.

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Self-man-thought-law/story-11415826-detail/story.html

Secondly libraries also include photographs which proved essential - see you took them, they may be able to help with your story.

Tomorrow: Making contacts - what to watch out for at meetings.