Over the years, things have changed much since I started out as a poet, next a short story writer, then a journalist, later a blogger, then in recent years a ghost writer and a self-published author.
You can only imagine the frustration I experienced over the years changing different hats and having to learn new software programs, how to upload and download, use basic HTML while discovering new ways to research for a variety of topics then using many different writing styles.
Since 2007, I have written thousands of pages and still have much to do before I close my eyes. So I thought wouldn't it be nice to share how journalists, writers and others use the Internet to gather their information? Here are some tips:
1. Search your topic using different search engines.
2. Put your question in the search engine.
3. Search for the person you need to interview by including things like "expert," "award-winning," "noted," "scholar" and any other title or description that best suits the person you need for your story.
4. Google, Facebook, Linked In, Yellow and White Pages all have contact information on most individuals. There are also websites that will provide a personal email address for a small fee.
5. You can ask people in your Twitter network for any additional information about your story.
6. If you are having problems generating ideas for your topic, check out websites related to your topic. There are sites for live chat, niche forums and comment sections on popular sites that might help.
7. There are many websites that allow images to be used freely. You can check Flickr and Bing for Creative Common Rights to use photos and clipart.
8. YouTube and similar websites are great places to find people interested in speaking about many topics. (Note: Don't forget bloggers too!)
9. You can check out informative presentations on Slideshare to help with your story.
10. Take the time to update your status or post a question or comment to generate opinions and before long you will have many quotes for your story.
I really do enjoy how easy it is to create a news story nowadays. But I am also concerned about how quick information is on the Internet before facts are made available. It appears that many major news stories are mere assumptions until proven otherwise.
Nicholl McGuire
Helpful Resources for Reporters, Writers:
Reporter Tools http://cironline.org/reporter-tools
Blog News Reporter: The Tools http://graywolfseo.com/seo/blog-news-reporter-the-tools/
Journalism and Facts Directory http://universalbyline.com/
Social Media Newbies http://zombiejournalism.com/resources/
You can only imagine the frustration I experienced over the years changing different hats and having to learn new software programs, how to upload and download, use basic HTML while discovering new ways to research for a variety of topics then using many different writing styles.
Since 2007, I have written thousands of pages and still have much to do before I close my eyes. So I thought wouldn't it be nice to share how journalists, writers and others use the Internet to gather their information? Here are some tips:
1. Search your topic using different search engines.
2. Put your question in the search engine.
3. Search for the person you need to interview by including things like "expert," "award-winning," "noted," "scholar" and any other title or description that best suits the person you need for your story.
4. Google, Facebook, Linked In, Yellow and White Pages all have contact information on most individuals. There are also websites that will provide a personal email address for a small fee.
5. You can ask people in your Twitter network for any additional information about your story.
6. If you are having problems generating ideas for your topic, check out websites related to your topic. There are sites for live chat, niche forums and comment sections on popular sites that might help.
7. There are many websites that allow images to be used freely. You can check Flickr and Bing for Creative Common Rights to use photos and clipart.
8. YouTube and similar websites are great places to find people interested in speaking about many topics. (Note: Don't forget bloggers too!)
9. You can check out informative presentations on Slideshare to help with your story.
10. Take the time to update your status or post a question or comment to generate opinions and before long you will have many quotes for your story.
I really do enjoy how easy it is to create a news story nowadays. But I am also concerned about how quick information is on the Internet before facts are made available. It appears that many major news stories are mere assumptions until proven otherwise.
Nicholl McGuire
Helpful Resources for Reporters, Writers:
Reporter Tools http://cironline.org/reporter-tools
Blog News Reporter: The Tools http://graywolfseo.com/seo/blog-news-reporter-the-tools/
Journalism and Facts Directory http://universalbyline.com/
Social Media Newbies http://zombiejournalism.com/resources/
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