Every day started routinely. The reporters, producers, web editors, assignment editor, managing editor, and news director rolled our chairs to the center of the newsroom. The assignment editor always started the meeting by explaining the stories that were already assigned to reporters. We then went around the circle for "leadable" news story ideas. The next round was reserved for "nonleadable," or "feature-ish" story ideas. Next, the assignment editor, (with the help of producers and managing editor), decided which stories would be given to which reporter. The reporter then provides a focus sentence for the story, and the meeting is over.
Of course, nothing was ever set in stone. If I had a dollar for every story that fell through, or had to be changed for various reasons... let's just say I'd have a lot of dollars. But even though things are constantly changing in TV journalism, the first step to a good story is a good story pitch.
Like most things, giving a smart story pitch that's actually worth following takes a bit of time. You have to think about your target demographic, the time of year it is, national stories, stories that are going viral on the Internet, and things that matter to your viewing audience.
Here are a few tips to make great story pitches that will impress your editors, and click here if you'd like to hear from professional editors about the most common mistakes they see when reporters pitch stories to them.
1. Don't Just Pitch Calendar Events
Of course, there are calendar events that are worth going to, and it's smart to keep important dates in the back of your mind. However, the best stories come from things that aren't necessarily scheduled events. Think outside of the box, and know what's important to your viewing audience.
2. Think Ahead
That being said, you don't have to think about ideas for just the current day. Keep things like important city council decisions and election dates in the back of your head, or, better yet, mark them down on a calendar.
3. Think Of Sources/B-Roll For Each Pitch
In our morning meeting at KELOLAND, we didn't necessarily have to talk about each particular source we were going to contact, or what video we were going to capture, but these are important things to think about when pitching a story. Don't just think about the idea, make sure you know how to execute it.
4. Take The Tips You Receive Seriously
At KELO, we had a tip-line phone number, where viewers could call in and pitch their story ideas to us. In all honesty, a lot of these ideas led nowhere, and had no backing behind them. However, some of them turn out to be validated, and have led to some fantastic stories.
For instance, this summer on a random Sunday evening, I answered a tip caller who said the Santee Sioux Native American Tribal Council had voted to legalize marijuana on the reservation land. We had heard nothing at the station about this, but I decided to pitch the idea on Monday. The assignment editor gave me the go-ahead, and it turned out that we were the first station to cover the council's vote. It was my first time "breaking" a major news story, and it was all because of a tip call.
5. Search Online
It's always important to utilize the vast amount of information available on the Internet for story pitches. For instance, I always checked the AP news wire before each morning meeting to catch up on any news I had missed overnight. I also read up on national news stories, because localizing national stories is a great way to draw viewers' attention.
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