Ideas constantly float by. They have to be caught, integrated with our current view of the world and even preserved for the future so they can be executed at the right time. Many times, we see Ideas as standalone (silos), and so let them pass us by.
Some of the best Ideas come in unconventional situations or when one least expects them. We should keep a small diary or book so we can jot down thoughts and Ideas, as they come. They are almost always in a raw format at first, and need to be mined and massaged.
Many times, an Idea is the result not of a sudden epiphany but a series of small nudges. Things come together slowly, like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, one which keeps expanding to give us an increasingly bigger view of the world around.
It is very important for us to have diversity in our reading which can stimulate the thinking. Also, one must keep an open mind. We have to challenge ourselves, and let others challenge us. Every so often, it is necessary to question the fundamentals and the most basic assumptions of what we are doing to ensure that we are on the right track. We should not be scared of redoing things, or even retracing our path. Many times, we are afraid of what we will discover if we think too much, and so just let the status quo prevail. That is grave mistake.
Ideas have to also pass the “next morning” test. Many times, we get excited with something and in our haste, take quick actions. This is also not right. We must wait a brief while and sleep on it — are we as excited the next day about our Idea? Good Ideas will always stand the test of time, and in fact, will become stronger and richer with time.
In a newsroom, there are usually more stories on any given day than reporters to cover them. Based on news judgment, assigning editors decide which stories to cover. The most straightforward stories come from police scanners and press releases; others come from journalists assigned to beats, specific areas of expertise. Hurricanes, fires involving death or large monetary losses, earthquakes, homicides-especially when the victim is even remotely well known in the community-are easy to recognize But the majority of what beginning reporters cover centers on governments, cops, courts, weather, ethnic festivals and holidays. The most successful starters are expected to find stories that go beyond routine coverage. How? By looking at people and events in terms of the universal themes we’ve discussed in any gathering of human beings, you will find compelling stories.
First, look for something out of place. Let’s say you’re assigned to cover the student council meeting where next year’s budget is under discussion. As you review the figures, you notice a discrepancy. Most campus clubs of similar size have received roughly the same amount of funding, but you notice the radio station has a budget Rs.20,000 more than that of any other organization. You ask why and discover the president of the student council is also the director of the radio station. He plans to join four other students on an all-expense-paid trip to Radio City of Pune. He also asked for and received funds to bankroll a publicity stunt that includes skydivers. You write a story explaining to students how their fees are being spent, leaving it up to your readers and the editorial writers to decide if the information warrants a recall election. A less curious reporter would never have noticed the discrepancy, would never have asked why and would have written a standard story that never answered the basic question: How will this affect my readers?
Scott Newhall, former editor of the San Francisco Chronicle used to routinely tell reporters one true thing about journalism: “There are no boring stories, just boring writers.” With a quick mind, enterprise and hard work, reporters can frame any story to reflect the universal themes that touch us all.
When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, for example, journalist Jimmy Breslin left the reporters at the Capitol Rotunda and interviewed the grave digger. It was Breslin’s ability to see great stories others missed that eventually led to his lucrative, prestigious and powerful career as a New York City columnist. In another instance of creative journalism, a Des Moines (Iowa) Register reporter noticed a spate of briefs in his paper about farmers dying or being maimed in farming accidents. His curiosity led him to the discovery that farming had become the nation’s most dangerous occupation. The story he wrote about it won him the Pulitzer Prize.
A Nobel cause. Staffers select photos to illustrate Nobel Prize winner story. (Courtesy AP World) “The best stories are often the most obvious; they’re the ones that everyone else has missed,” award-winning reporter and writer Ken Fuson told Editor & Publisher. “The quickest way to succeed in this business is to figure which way everyone else is headed, then go in the opposite direction. And always, always be open to the obvious.”
Look for fresh angles. With the hike in percentages, admissions in universities are becoming really difficult. The usual would be to do a story on the reactions of students and the teachers on the new competitive environment. A creative reporter would rather cover an angle on vocational education and its upcoming opportunities.
Look everywhere for ideas and listen for them too. Train yourself to immediately ask, ‘Is this a story?’ Whenever you find yourself laughing at a situation, or shaking your head, or saying to someone, ‘Listen to this,’ you’ve probably got a story. If the story has been done, don’t do it again. If it’s been done before and you have to do it, then you want to do it better than it was done before. The whole thing is about the concept of ‘I want to do it better than it was done before’. So how do you achieve this?
First and foremost he or she has ideas – ideas for programmers, or items, people to interview, pieces of music or subjects for discussion – new ways of treating old ideas, or creating a fresh approach to the use of radio or television. New ideas are not simply for the sake of being different; they stimulate interest and fresh thought, so long as they are relevant. But ideas are not the product of routine; they need fresh inputs to the mind. The producer therefore must not stay simply within the confines of his world of broadcasting, but must involve himself physically and mentally in the community he is attempting to serve. It is all too easy for media people to stay in their ivory tower and to form elite not quite in touch with the world of the listener or viewer. Such an attitude is one of a broadcasting service in decline.
Ideas for programmers must be rooted firmly in the needs and language of the audience they serve. Programmers must be assessed, reflected upon and should anticipate needs through a close contact with the potential listeners and viewers. You must carry a small notebook to jot down the fleeting thought or snatch of conversation overheard. And if you cannot think of new ideas, you must act as a catalyst for others, stimulating, and being receptive to their thoughts and at least recognize an idea when you see one.
There is, however, a great deal of difference between a new idea and a good idea and any programme suggestion has to be thought through on a number of criteria. An idea needs distilling in order to arrive at a workable form. It has to have clarity of aim so that all those involved know what they are trying to achieve. It has to be seen as relevant to its target audience, and it must be practicable in terms of resources. Is there the talent available to support the idea? Is it going to be too expensive in people’s time? Does it need additional equipment? What will it cost? Is there sufficient time to plan it properly? Any new programme idea has to be thought through in relation to the four basic resources – people, money, technical equipment and time. It may be depressing to have to modify a really good idea in order to make it work with the resources available, but one of the news writer’s most important tasks is to reconcile the desirable with the possible.
Thinking of Ideas
The biggest difficulty you will face when trying to get a break is continually coming up with ideas that are specifically suitable. This may not apply quite so much to a local station, it will then just be a question of whether they like it enough to want to use it or perhaps a question of whether they have already used a feature like it or have planned to do one in the not-too-distant future and have already commissioned it.
Constantly thinking of ideas and developing themes around which to spin stories and series is one of the most difficult things to come to term with when you first start – but it does not get much easier. There are obvious places to start. Stations will need stories that are topical, but not necessarily run-of-the- mill, you could get a fixture list of local sides and look back at the history of previous encounters to think of ideas.
The best way to get on board a specialist title – unless you have a USP which allows you easier access – is to start small and think laterally about what the channel needs. A small team based in an office in London will not have access to local stories. They may well have local correspondents spread around the country, but if you can come up with a regular supply of local stories from your area you will find it easier to increase your involvement once they are familiar with your name and your work.
Some Other Suggestions on Where to Find Ideas:
- Ask people what makes them mad, sad or happy. Talk to them about problems that concern or affect them; ask how they would fix the problem if given the opportunity. Listen to conversations in restaurants, in the dining hall, in waiting rooms or study halls what are people talking about?
- Read voraciously, listen to radio and TV news and zero in on controversies that also may be happening in your own community. Then, localize the story and demonstrate how your community is trying to grapple with the issue or problem. Remember, copying the story is plagiarism, but finding a new angle unique to the story is good journalism.
- Ask yourself: What are the major problems in my community? Then report on how the people charged with solving those problems are succeeding. If the problems are not being solved, write a story about why not.
- Look for watchdog stories. Are the people who govern you and your public successfully doing the job they were elected or assigned to do? Are they spending the money they collected wisely and responsibly? If not, why not?
- News releases. News releases come from public relations people who want to publicize a cause or event. Generally biased and often factually incorrect, news releases should never be reprinted verbatim, but they can serve as an excellent source for story ideas. Double-check all information in a news release before publishing.
- Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. How do powerful leaders in your community deal with the less fortunate?
- Find stories in the newspaper. Many times, news reporters fail to follow up on what might make a terrific story.
- For example: A brief news story appeared in the local paper about an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh falling off a train and under the wheels, where his leg was severed. A homeless man saved him and took him to a local hospital. After hearing the story, a reporter visited the victim in the hospital and discovered a much bigger story: He had stowed away on the freight train in a desperate attempt to enter the country, seeking work. The reporter found statistics to support a huge increase in the number of immigrant stowaways being crushed and maimed on freight trains; she documented official attempts to grapple with the problem. The story first appeared in one of the major national channels giving the entire issue a fresh and creative perspective.
- Look for trends. Document change over time. Make sense of everyday news stories and put them into context. If you report on a series of rapes on and around your campus, ask the police what the crimes have in common. To spot trends, ask yourself and others what isolated news events might mean in a larger context; do they signal a change in mainstream assumptions?
- Watch for world records, important anniversaries, weird people, fashion tattoos, celebrity daughters they make good stories.
