Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter Two News Values and Story Ideas 55 2. Develop a specifi c local angle. “One-third of teens are overweight, and the PE department has weight records for students here. We could see if we are above or below the national average. Also, I know two students who have lost a great deal of weight in the last year. I’d like to interview them about how they did it. I know a couple of local adults who have had the Lap-Band surgery. The article questions whether the Lap Band should be marketed to teens. If parents approve, teens can get the surgery now, but the new law will allow the company to market the surgery to teens. Perhaps we could do a survey to see if teens think it is a good idea to market a surgery to teenagers.” 3. Be prepared to talk about the news values. For example: • Point out the local angle, the proximity: “I know people here involved in weight loss.” • Mention the confl ict: “Should this be marketed to teens?” • Show your editor the timeliness: “The Food and Drug Administration will be hearing arguments about it shortly.” • Talk about impact: “If a third or more of teens here are obese, this must affect many of the families in our community.” • Ask: “Could we do a human interest story on one of the people who lost weight? One person was willing to be interviewed and has ‘before’ pictures.” The only two news values not mentioned here are oddity and prominence. The editor may tell you to go ahead with the story or tell you, “No, we covered the topic last spring.” She is likely to suggest the angle she would like you to research. Be enterprising! Choose one of the stories mentioned in this chapter or a story idea you came up with in a previous “Your Turn” exercise. Prepare to pitch this story idea to an editor. Include a thorough reading of the article if the idea comes from the professional press. • Suggest specific angles. “We could write about girls who skateboard” is not very specific. Instead, you could say, “I know at least three girls who skate at the ramps and rails at the Quaker church on Magnolia.” • Be prepared to talk about the specific news values of the story idea. “We could do a human interest piece, or we could focus in on the conflicts between the male and female skaters. They are not always welcomed there. And there is a little oddity angle. I wonder i f any of them compete?” Your Turn B