1: Your foot soldiers and spys
Make friends with anyone who drives or walks around your patch every day
They will spot changes and notice the unusual. Those delivering mail, newspapers and milk are particularly useful contacts.
2: Window shopping
Always look carefully at all the adverts posted in local shops
Local meetings, lost and found items; in fact all the standard hand-written classified adverts could turn into a story. Many are rich pickings, but you may have to jot down the numbers and make a few calls before that becomes apparent.
3: Everyone has a story to tell
Interview people - anyone: Everyone has a story
Start with public figures, but expand to include everyone. Artists, retired academics, shop keepers, business leaders, union leaders, a cleaner, a road sweeper. Plan your interview strategy. Draw up a list. Create a diary. Do at least one interview a week. Some may be rubbish and may never be used. Others could be explosive.
4: Daily calls
Visit the emergency services regularly
It used to be called ‘doing the calls’ on my first newspaper. Every day one of us would be sent to call at the front desk of the local police, fire and ambulance station. We could have done it on the phone, but we wouldn’t have got half the tip offs had we not knocked on doors and discuss events over a cup of tea.
5: What’s on at the local court
Court listings are great sources for upcoming stories
Of course you have to be careful here in terms of legal issues. But if you know your patch you will know some of the names listed. This source of stories is more about being aware and alert. Always ensure you have the court listings.
6: Planning and development
Look closely at appeals, there is usually a good story
The local planning office is often a source of great stories. It will tell you what’s been approved, rejected and appealed. Check the names of the developers. Look through the records. Jot down the areas where there is an appeal underway. Go there and talk to local residents about why they think the original plans were turned down. Keep digging; you will find some great stories in the local planning department. Look out for new buildings and go through the records to track the planning process. Look for the unusual.
7: Original surveys
Don't be afraid to carry out your own survey on a local issue
Buy a cheap clipboard and write 10 questions on a current burning local issue. Then go out to shopping areas, railway stations etc and invite people to take part. Try to interview 100 people. Read it all back and think through what the survey is telling you. Think about who you should talk to next to make your research into a story.
8: Local concerns
Listen to your audience to find out what they want you to cover
Again, get out in the street and ask people what concerns them most, what they would like to see changed, what annoys them the most, what they would like to see happen in the town. What they like, what they don’t like.
9: A year ago today
Create your own, unique, forward planning diary
Recording recent history: Keep your own news diary each year and jot down all the stories you covered along with relevant contact details. Then always look back at what you were covering six months and a year ago. Check with the contacts you spoke to in the past. Ask them whether anything has changed. A responsible journalist will always follow up on important stories. Your follow up will probably present you with a new exclusive – and you will have some great archive material to support the news update.
10: Local statistics and trends
Statistics are stories, not just numbers
Turn numbers into stories. Think through how the town you are working in compares with neighbouring towns in key areas, such as whether it is growing, shrinking, has more or fewer people in work, has a younger or older average age, has more expensive or cheaper property etc. Talk to local politicians about what they are doing about it. Don’t just take the statistics at face value. Ask questions. Keep nagging like a small child until those with the information give you the sweets you want.
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