1. Background of the news.
The "tic toc" as media reporters say: The time, date, place, who, what, and where. You have to get this information somewhere. In media publishing, it often comes from press releases or announcements by the newsmakers but in organizational publishing you usually have to call the organizer of an event. Usually this is a simple telephone interview or an email.
Remember to crosscheck this information with other authoritative participants if your main source is uncertain about the answer to your question.
2. Quotes.
There is simply no better reason to speak to anyone other than to get quotes. (In the next section we'll talk about what people are quoted about.)
We advise people not to get too hung up on the mechanical aspects of getting quotes. Take a tape recorder to a sit-down interview if you want and don't worry much about the subject of your interview feelings put-off by the tape recorder. Much better to worry about the content of an interview.
3. Color
It's more than "tic toc," it's the flavor of a situation or event. When you do an interview you attempt to get a feeling for the mood, importance, significance of an event.
4. (media publishing only) Authority
Organizational editors rarely have to worry about the authority or source of their articles. If an article needs authority, quote management. That's all the authority most organizational articles need.
What to ask people - next
