Where do stories come from?

Something you hear about

Something you read elsewhere

Something you wonder about

Obligatory tasks from an editor

Something ”new” happens

Something from an ”event”

Something you hear about

Students go to monasteries to write their thesises...

Research:

- talking to one of these students (verbal experience)

- calling 3-4 monasteries (getting figures, statistics)

- staying at a monastery (bodily experience + interview)

Something you read elsewhere

Other articles, newsletters, mailing lists etc.

Reports from organizations, academics

Figures and numbers – statistics (remember the cinema figures...?)

For instance a computer games museum in Berlin mentioned on a German web site...

Research:- website (online source)

- going there (bodily source)- email interview afterwards – not recommended...

Something you wonder about That's what note books are for...

Use yourself:- what do you care aobut?

- what troubles you, enlightens you, thrills you?- what makes you angry?

- what makes you shake your head?

--> you are probably not alone...

(and egoism can take you far)

* example: I care about documentary film – and wonder how to make a good pitch

Research: figures from festivals, interviews, reading pitchs--> a changing angle...

Tasks from an editor Write a portrait about this dairy...

Research:- read old articles about the dairy (written source)

- search their website – how do they present themselves, possible angles (digital source)

- new products, new ways of working (news angles)

- what's interesting for my readers? (target group)

- visit the dairy and interview the manager and staff(bodily experience – senses – verbal interview, face2face

Something from an ”event”

Meetings, seminars, reportage tasks, travels, concerts, debates...or a film festival :-)

Research:

beforehand:- what kind of festival? The programme, the website

- general: articles on Indian film

at the festival:- watch films, talk to people

Types of research sources

* written sources

* online sources

* verbal sources

* yourself and your senses

--- Souce criticism ---

Written sources

* still a few around

* take a library day – surprises usually show up

* handbooks, for instance Kraks Blå Bog for biographical details – and Karnov for jura and law details

* guides – for instance Mediehåndbogen, a guide to finding relevant media to your kind of article (also online at: http://www.media.danskespecialmedier.dk/ - also in english)

Online sources

* newsletters – filter it, sign up for what you're into

* press services

* mailing lists & blogs

* agendas (from city council to the EU and UN)

* websites – companies, organizations, institutions, people

* databases (such as Danmarks Statik – Danish Statistics – dst.dk and infomedia.dk which hosts most articles from Danish media)

* facebook, twitter and so forth

Verbal sources

* get a network – and maintain it!

* differentiate between research interview and real interview

* talk outside quotation – and accept that deal!

* what reasons does the person have for saying what he says?

Researching a case – teacher lockout

* who knows something about the case....? Analyze and get answers:

- who has caused the case? – Kommunernes Landsforening (Local Goverment Denmark, LGD)

- who is affected? – teachers, school pupils, parents, companies, society

- who is a part in the case? – LGD and The Teacher's Union

- who has influence? Politicians, LGD and The Teacher's Union

- who decides the case? Eventually the politicians probably

- who is an expert? Labour Market researchers mainly

---> who you want to speak to depends on your angle!

Research – the typical proces* get an idea....

* preminalary research; what are you interested in discovering about the idea/angle, why do you feel like writing this story?

* do a small introduction-research; ask people around you what they think about the idea, do a few research interviews and start to look at potential hypothesises, problems, angles

* plan your research:- what do you need to discover? Minimal and maximal targets- which facts do you have and what do you need?

- overview of central sources (persons, written and online)- create brief summaries of central documents and interviews- take notes about your experiences with the research – it will

come in handy next time you do research

General research tips* get online – but don't stay there for too long

* don't underestimate the power of conversation

* always be research-ready – a journalist is never off duty :-)

* know what to look for – but keep an open spirit

* angles are likely to change once you start researching --> welcome these changes

* but angles are also a way to guide your researcgh – to know what to look for!

* don't be afraid to get lost – but don't stay lost

* stay tuned in society – this prevents many fallacies and slow research

More research tips

* get routines – but remember to break them now and then

* know a little bit about everything – and a hell of a lot about a few niches....

* avoid one-source-research, get second opinons, find more information, use your own senses...verify facts

* your research scope should match the story scope – know when to stop --> research can go on forever in theory

--> ALWAYS be CRITICAL of any material gathered in research