One problem that many student journalists have is that they don't know where to go for information, either when it comes to finding sources, or finding clips to see what has already been covered. Getting familiar with these Web sites will make your job a lot easier.
Find Clips Using LexisNexis Academic
Over 1,500 colleges and universities use LexisNexis Academic as a research database. Lexis allows you to search more than 350 newspapers, over 300 magazines and journals, and over 600 newsletters going back 20 years. While Easy Search can be very helpful, the most comprehensive results will come from using Power Search and utilizing terms and connectors (and, or, etc…). This should be your first stop when looking for clips to add to your file.
Use Google News for Breaking News Around the World
Your next stop for finding relevant news stories should be Google News. Here, you can see the top news stories from countries around the world, when they were posted, and links to similar stories. You can also refine your search so that it only turns up stories relevant to your beat. As an added bonus, you can also sign up for alerts so that you know about a story the minute it breaks.
Use Guidestar.org for Information About Nonprofits
Nonprofits are great sources that are often neglected. Almost any story you work on will have a nonprofit related to it in some way. Guidestar’s database includes information on 1.8 million IRS recognized charities. If that isn’t enough, there is also information on 6.6 million individuals in the nonprofit sector, any one of whom could prove to be a valuable source.
Check Daybooks and Day Schedules for Events
A daybook or day schedule is a list of events for any given day, in any given state. The events are listed with a brief description, the address or location, the date and time. There is usually a contact person listed as well, and some events may require press to register beforehand.
Getting familiar with the daybook for your beat will allow you to attend events relevant to your story, as well as speak to sources in person. Make sure to arrive early, and be prepared to stay late. Take a notebook and recorder with you, and maybe a camera if your story needs visuals. Try to dress appropriately for the event if it is one that calls for something other than casual attire.
Learning to use these resources will be invaluable to writing to your stories, but don’t let the information you find be all that you write. If you find reporting holes in stories in your clip file, set out to fill those holes. Don’t let data and statistics overwhelm the story; use color quotes when appropriate or necessary. The extra effort will show and pay off in the end.
For more tips for student journalists, check out Tayla's article Hot Tips for Budding Journalists.
Tayla Holman - Tayla is a student at Hofstra University, where she is majoring in print journalism and English with a concentration in publishing ...
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