- 1. An Interview with Ruth Davenport JOUR 2001 Reporting Techniques By: Francesca Handy & Matthew Scrimshaw
2. Senior Reporter, Metro Halifax 3. A Brief Overview of Ruths Education & Experience 1997-2002 The University of Calgary BSc(EXHP) 2002-2003 University of Kings College Bachelorof Journalism 4. 2002-2005: Halifax Daily News Job Title: Reporter Freelance/Weekend Reporter Covered everything crime, health, entertainment, etc 1993 - Halifax Daily News was first Canadian newspaper to publish an online edition. 5. 2003-2004: The Canadian Press Job Title: Editorial Assistant Editedincomingcopy Formatted and redistributed material for pickup Covered regional news as required 6. 2005-2012: News 95.7 Job Title: News Editor Coordinatednewscasts Assigned reporters to stories Maintained website and twitter feed. 7. Metro Halifax Senior Reporter Nominallytheir city hall reporter only 2 full-time reporters on staff Primary responsibility is to cover municipal government & politics Does write some feature storiesIf I see an issue that I think is going to be of relevance or interest to people, then its up to me to identify that and try to jump on it. 8. Working Within Different Media Constraint Everystory at Metro Halifax goes online immediately and has a web component Longer versions of each story are published online Onlinestory represents all voices & perspectives Space constraints in print Ingeneral: OnlineStories 500 to 600 words Print Stories 275 to 325 words 9. Print vs. Radio Processis generally the same Startwith the latest & most important, and then flesh the story out from there Moreliberty in print to use quotes that are too long or too dry Printallows you to explain context Radio discourages quotes from people who mumble or suffer from speech impediments 10. Where To Find Stories 11. Where To Find Stories PublicInformation Meetings Scheduleand agendas are online. Twitter History Whathappened on this date 5 years ago? Effect of recent laws or initiatives? Competitorsstories. Reader Comments 12. Reader Comments If youve got the stomach for it, and sometimes I dont, Ill read the reader comments on stories and see if theyve brought anything up that weve missed and see if there is anything worth chasing. 13. The Common Thread WHAT HAS NOT BEEN COVERED YET?!!! 14. Determining What Is Good News Guided by the 3 principles of: 1)Health 2)Heart 3)PocketbookIs it going to affect my readers health? Is it going to tug at their heart strings? Is it going to cost them money? 15. The Best People To Talk & Listen To 16. Talkto a large and diverse group of people every day. Listen to people vent Are all over the place at all times of day and night Are generally pretty chatty Talkto them, but make sure to LISTEN!!!!Cab Drivers People let their guards down in a cab and theyll vent. 17. I give more business cards to cab drivers than I give to anyone else. They know what people are talking about, what people are interested in and what they are concerned about. 18. can give you all kinds of dirt about what goes on behind the scenes at a police station. Sometimes thats information that you file away for later use and sometimes you can get a story out of it.Former Cops 19. When A Story Isnt A Story 20. When A Story Isnt A Story People manipulate the facts to seem more sympathetic Happens often in he said-she said situations I.E.: Tenants vs. LandlordsDecision rests upon how committed you are to the story Are you in the preliminary fact checking phase? Have you budgeted space for it in paper and told copy editors it is coming? 21. Exceptions Doesthe story speak to a broader social issue? Is it in the public interest? Health, heart, & pocketbook?I am always trying to look at the broader message, is there even a moral lesson there? 22. What Ingredients Are Needed For A Great Story? Someone with a legitimate plight Someone willing to talk openly Someone credible Someone who responds defensively to allegations or questions Documentation Health, Heart, and Pocketbook! 23. A Certain Something Yourgut instinct will tell you if you have a great story. Gut Instinct + 1 Ingredient = Probable Story Gut Instinct + 2 Ingredients = Definite Story 24. A Little Controversy A sweltering, suffocating nightmare: Metro reporter spends a dangerous 40 minutes in a hot car Metro News July 8th, 2013 25. Experimental Journalism Spent40 minutes in a parked car on a day when the temperature reached 37 C Inspired by a rash of stories about children dying and dogs rescued from unattended cars Thought she could articulate the suffering in a way that children and dogs could not Compared experience to bending over in a hot stove. 26. Criticisms Storywas labeled a dangerous stunt Wassupervised at all times Former high level athlete with awareness of her own physiology Criticizedfor seeking attention Personally HOWEVERcommitted to animal welfare- Felt that the story brought attention to an important issue. 27. Were not just saying dont leave your dog in a hot car because its kind of mean, its actually a torment. Thats my job as a reporter. 28. In The Aftermath First-person journalism should be used sparingly Must add something to the story that has not already been done When done right, it adds value to certain stories 29. Advice For Young Journalists WAIT! Fillin all the holes in your story Be patient Dont tweet before the story is published It is better to have the right information than it is to be firstThe hardest thing for young journalists to do is wait. 30. Contact [email protected]
