February 28, 2013 By: Karen Spring HSCI 825 Advocacy and Communication Simon Fraser University INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST

Presentation Outline ✜ Why be a journalist? ✜ Who can you write for? ✜ Six steps to writing a journalistic piece: Step 1: Planning a story Step 2: Research Step 3: Making contact Step 4: The interview Step 5: Writing the story Step 6: Don’t get sued ** Tips along the way **

Why would you start writing as a journalist? ✜ Advocacy strategy ✜ A way to get your work, experiences and viewpoints out there ✜ A way to translate your research to the public ✜ A great skill set

For Who? Independent Media – “pitching” details on websites Journalism skills is useful for many things: Blogs Pamphlets Newsletters Agency websites Government Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Step 1: Planning a story ✜ Finding a story: Is it timely? Impactful? Relevant? Angle (community, local, national, etc) relevant to publisher? What’s the major tension? ✜ Mapping the story

Step 2: Research ✜ Internet ✜ Government & corporate websites ✜ Advocacy groups ✜ Health related organization - WHO, PHAC, CDC, etc. *** Make sure they are verifiable *** SOME PLACES TO GET STARTED: Canadian Think Tanks: - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Council of Canadians – well-reviewed studies Government websites: Statistics Canada Parliament of Canada: Info on MPs, sessions of the House of Commons, Hansard (Debates)

Step 3: Making Contact ✜ Finding a voice(s) Community or individual perspective: talk to those most affected ✜ Do a call out using your networks, your friends, Facebook, Twitter, etc. ✜ Allow for different points of view – diverging perspectives or the pros and cons

✜ Google the person’s name with first 3 digits of area code or location - Government – Database of experts ( Media/Expert-Expert_eng.asp) ✜ Don’t leave a message until you’ve called at least 3 times Be persistent & firm Mention if you have deadlines ✜ Just show up ✜ Try, if possible, & if needed to avoid the ‘media rep’ (especially for investigative pieces)

Step 4: The Interview(s) ✜ Do your background research ✜ Questions: Easy, open-ended and one at a time ✜ How to end the interview – 5 major ending questions: - How do you spell your name? - Do you have a specific title? - Is there anything else you’d like to add? - Are quotes attributed to you or your organization? - Is there anyone else I should talk to about this topic?

Step 5: Writing the story Start: ✜ The “Lede”, a sentence or two that introduces your article. Opening paragraph: ‘Who’, ‘what’, ‘where’ & ‘when’ Middle: ✜ The ‘Why’ and ‘How’ ✜ Context and quotes End: ✜ Don’t summarize

Step 6: Don’t get sued! ✜ Libel – Printed defamation ✜ Truth ✜ Fair comment ✜ Responsible Journalism Doubtful? Consult a lawyer. Period.

Questions? Thank you!

References Paley, Dawn and Ling, Justin. (October 2011). So you want to write for the Media Coop? Vancouver Media Coop. Available at: The Dominion. (no date). Write for the Dominion. Available at: