Good story ideas are the currency of journalism. Wouldn't it be nice if we journalists could get one e-mail a week listing dozens of story ideas related to our beats, complete with sources? And maybe special ones when major news breaks, such as the shuttle crash?
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Well, such a treat exists. Most of us are familiar with
ProfNet as a service that makes it easy to find sources for stories by e-mailing hundreds of experts around the world at once. But ProfNet also sends out lists of story ideas each week, complete with sources (You need to register, but it's free).
The site sends out weekly leads for:
ProfNet also e-mails special topical story lists for major news events, such as the State of the Union address, Iraq, Homeland Security and, this week,
the space shuttle crash. For example, among the story ideas listed in this week's e-mail:
- New heat-resistant materials in development
- Debris-related insurance claims expected
- Explaining the shuttle disaster to kids
- The future of space tourism
If you've already thought of the ideas the e-mails include, then the sources can come in handy. Or the sources listed might be useful for another related story you're working on. Additional sources are listed at the bottom of the e-mails, which this week included contact information for Dennis Tito, who was the first individual to pay to travel in space in April 2001. The quality of all of these ideas and sources varies, but in its compact form of one easily-scannable e-mail, it sure beats sorting through dozens of press releases. And sooner or later you're bound to find an idea useful on your beat.
SUBMIT YOUR TIPS FOR PUBLICATION: What websites do you find most useful in your reporting? Send a brief note with your name, affiliation and a description of a favorite site to tips@cyberjournalist.net and I may publish them in future columns.
Coming Tuesday: Sree Sreenivasan
Coming next Friday: Jon Dube
