Having a Nose for News

People talk about some journalists having a "nose for news" or being lucky in having good stories always fall into their laps.

Many people believe this is something instinctive but although it comes more naturally to some, it can be learned. If you concentrate on two simple things, you can develop a nose for news.

Question Your Environment

I was once walking past London Dungeon and saw they had a Jack the Ripper intimacy kit in the window, which was a novelty item that included a condom, some lube and an antiseptic wipe along with the tag line: “because you never know who’s coming around the corner…”.

My first reaction was that it was a bit crass to be making jokes about the murder of vulnerable women but then I started to ask myself whether I could make a story out of it. I then contacted a local prostitute welfare group who condemned London Dungeon and called for them to take it off the market, which made a front-page story for the South London Press.

Too many journalists only think about whether something is a news story when they are going through a council agenda or getting a phone call from a member of the public. Instead, get into the habit of looking at everything through the prism of whether it is a news story.

For example, if you are stuck in traffic every morning on your way to work then ask yourself why the traffic is so bad. Is there a trade organisation whose businesses are affected by the traffic and, if so, will they say anything about it?

Or if you are irritated by local children skateboarding in the town centre, it is likely other people are irritated by them as well. And if people who use the town centre are irritated about it, then they will want to read about the issue in their local paper.

Look For Different Angles

As well as always being alert for news stories, make an effort to weigh up different angles for a story rather than just writing the first one you think of. Question whether there is a part of the story that is more interesting than the obvious one.

This is particularly the case when dealing with press officers. If they give you a story then they will want you to take a line that puts their organisation in the best light. Never just accept it.

I once went out with Lambeth Police’s vice squad for a feature and we did not find a single prostitute, which on the face of it meant it had been a waste of time.

But it was a very hot day and one of the officers made a comment about how it was obviously too hot for the prostitutes to be working. I asked whether he would say that on the record and he did, so I ended up with a light-hearted story along the lines of  “No sex please… we’re sweltering”.

I once wrote a story about a health intervention in Middlesbrough aimed at improving children's diets. The actual findings were not particularly interesting but there was a line in the report about how most children involved had never seen green beans before. By choosing this angle, I was able to write a story that ended up being covered by the national press.

If you are not regularly questioning yourself and debating with colleagues about the best angle for a story, then you are doing something wrong.