Pitch the story in a short paragraph posted on the #feature_ideas channel on Slack. Include the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Consider who you will interview in addition to the primary subject. Is there a possibility to also pitch this story to the Vanguard or another local news outlet? You must complete five story pitches and chose from those which ones you'll pursue.
The feature story should be 500-750 words. You must write two during the semester. Submit the story by placing it in the Google Drive folder you shared with me. Alert me through Slack with a DM that your story is ready to be graded.
A few reminders:
- Research your subject, both online and in print. Have an idea about the kind of information you'll need to know before you conduct interviews. Show that you've done your homework, and don't waste your interviewee's time with questions you could find online. This preparation also conveys that you value the subject's time. Need some additional help with research? Talk to our librarians; they research for a living.
- The story must include interviews that you conduct either in person or over the phone. You will be responsible for organizing these interviews. Please use the proper protocol for this process if the subject isn't someone you know very well.
- How many sources should you use? That's up to you, but the story is about the voices you assemble, not your opinion. This is not an opinion piece. Be a reporter.
- Pitches and feature stories will be graded on content as well as grammar and mechanics. Revise. Take pride in your work.
- Remember the subject of the piece. YOU are not important here, so avoid phrases that reflect on your process (i.e. "next I asked her about," "when I thought about," etc.)
