Leave Your Desk

An open letter to journalism students about the importance of shoe-leather reporting.

walking
Student Editor Nathan Hatcher looking at me like he doesn't believe what I'm saying. He gets this same look during weekly staff meeting when no one has story ideas. Photo: Marianne Pickens

12 Tips for Finding Story Ideas

It happens every week in staff meeting. The student editor asks the staff of 10-15 other editors, reporters and photographers what story ideas they have for the week and the room goes silent... eyes diverted, crickets chirping are the only sound–quiet. After a few minutes of the student editor looking like a beat down, abandoned puppy, … [Read More...]

Reading

10 Blogs Journalists Must Read

Most writers consider it fact that, in order to write well, you must read a lot. I encourage student journalists to read everything they can get their hands on. I figure the good writing they read will give them something to mirror. The bad writing serves as a warning and a great way to practice their editing skills. Journalists are mass … [Read More...]

Reader

What Readers Really Want

What Women Want with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt probably is my favorite advertising movie. It also teaches us an important lesson about attracting readers. The movie is about Gibson, a womanizing advertising executive trying to shed his sexist mindset to tap into a female-drive advertising market. While trying new products in preparation for a … [Read More...]