Story Pitches

Remember that you need to have beat story pitches approved. Here are tips for story pitches:

* Pitch ideas not topics
* Do initial reporting
* Explain is this newsworthy
* Explain why this is important now

Another meeting example

Here's an offbeat meeting story. It's an example of how sometimes the real news has nothing to do with the agenda.

Your meeting brief

You are expected to cover at least one school board or city council meeting. (It is in your best interest to attend both.) Focus on ONE issue or action - don't summarize the entire meeting.

You should have completed the meeting assignment by the first exam. Contact me if you cannot make a committee or official meeting of the city council or school board so we can find an appropriate meeting.

If you have issue/problems/questions, contact me. Don't leave things to the last minute.

For the meeting for which you are responsible, you will file a brief due by email me at voss.kimberly@gmail.com as a Microsoft Word file attachment within two hours of the end of the meeting. Clearly identify yourself in the email and the subject line. Name stories appropriately in the subject line (e.g., “Winter Park City Council Brief”). The time stamp on the email will verify that you met your deadline.

Your meeting brief (up to 6 paragraphs on the most important action/decision) should be detailed and complete. Be sure to include the full names of council or commission members and citizens who speak at meetings. Remember, your coverage of the meeting will not always end when the meeting adjourns. You may have to ask council members or speakers questions after the meeting or gather additional information. Turn in the agenda during the next class period.

Open Government Information

Here is a link to Sunshine Laws, or open meeting requirements, state-by-state.

Here is a link to state and federal FOIA laws. It includes a letter generator.

Here is information on meetings laws in Florida.

Here is information on Florida courts.

Here is information on Florida judicial records.

Here is a link on Florida's Office of Open Government.

Tips for Covering Meetings

Remember that you need to cover an official meeting in your beat community. Here are some tips on meeting coverage.

Chapter 4

Investigative Reporters and Editors

Census Data

Get to know your beat community through Census data.

What story ideas come to mind?

Does anything surprise you?

How might this information impact your list of sources?

Community Beats

Oviedo
Goretti Duncker
Lauren Paulauskas
Jeff Riley

Sanford
Lea Anne Crittenden
Courtney Gilmartin
Amanda Welch

Winter Park
Andrew Kennedy
Rachel Murphy

Winter Springs
William Goss
Brandon Hamilton
Caleb Johnson

Edgewood
Megan Donoghue
Brendan Sonnone

Winter Garden
Raisa Camargo
Jennifer Rios

Castleberry
Lyndsay Fogarty
Jillian Krotki

In place of class today

Subject: Forum - "News Media in Transition: Trends and Future Prospects"
Sent by: Helen Donegan, Vice President Community Relations for UCF Global
Perspectives

A group of prominent writers, editors, columnists, broadcasters and bloggers
will share their thoughts on prospects for the news media during a public forum
Thursday, January 21, at the University of Central Florida.

"News Media in Transition: Trends and Future Prospects" will be held Thursday,
January 21, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., in the Cape Florida Ballroom of
the Student Union on UCF's main campus.

There will be an opening keynote address on the evolving role of electronic
media by Suzanne Seggerman, President and Co-Founder, Games for Change, and a
former documentary film producer for PBS.

Others presenting at this forum include Sara R. Brady, Sara Brady Public
Relations (formerly with Bright House Networks); Ruben Funes, Editor-in-Chief,
La Prensa; Charlotte Hall, Editor, the Orlando Sentinel; James S. Hill,
Managing Editor, The Washington Post Writers Group; Jamie McIntyre, former CNN
Senior Pentagon Correspondent, blogger and consultant; Amitabh Pal, Co-Editor,
The Progressive Media Project.

This forum is free and open to the public.

Chapter 2: Your Beat

Orange & Seminole counties

Hello. On Tuesday, you will receive your beat community - a self-governing city in Orange or Seminole County. You will cover this community for the rest of semester and pitch story ideas about what is happening. You will be competing with two classmates on these pitches. We will go over examples in class.

Neighborhood Approach

IRE membership

The PAR class includes an IRE membership. Here is information about joining. Your reading for today came from the IRE website. We'll discuss IRE throughout the semester.