1 Module 2A – Great reporters can…

Tell original stories

Much of our time as reporters is consumed doing the stories we must—fires, crime, natural calamities, conflicts of one kind or another, the machinations of governments, and people, places, and events that have been thrust into the news. Good reporters learn how to do all those stories well.

Great reporters go beyond that. They not only get steadily better at their assigned work, but they also manage to find time and resources to report stories that go beyond the swirl of events that clamor for attention. It’s these enterprise stories that tend to be the most engaging for us as reporters and they are also the most memorable for readers, listeners and viewers.

Write precisely and creatively

Editors, producers, and speakers at journalism conferences often say, “Good reporting leads to good writing.” That’s true. But a step is missing. A good idea inspires good reporting, which then nourishes good writing.

Reporters who consistently come up with memorable enterprise story ideas are prized, and readers, listeners and viewers remember their work because it gives meaning and wider understanding to their lives.

Perhaps the worst dismissal that former Wall Street Journal deputy editor Barney Calame makes is to say a story offers little more than a “great command of the obvious.” The work of disciplined reporters rarely falls into that category—they have developed a system of generating good enterprise pieces and memorable stories that surprise, delight, and enrich.

Consider this piece reported and written by Boyd Huppert, KARE-TV, Minneapolis

Video 2.1: How 5th graders treat their bullied classmate will inspire you