Timeliness is Next to Godliness
It's a big world out there and we all inhabit our own little corner of it. In this world, events of a larger scale happen all around us, and many of them happen on a predictable timeline. The Oscars happen around the same time every year, as does Valentine's Day, Superbowl Sunday, Mother's Day, 4th of July, etc, etc, etc. These events are scheduled. We know they are coming. News outlets do more than report straight news, they keep and follow an editorial calendar covering these types of events.
Here's the thing. I love lists. Give me a list and I immediately feel more structured and more productive. Not only do I *feel* more productive. BY GUM, I AM MORE PRODUCTIVE. Editorial calendars serve the same purpose for me, and they might for you.
Try creating your own editorial calendar, so you can attack your news-making duties by staying one step ahead. Knowing and planning for the events that are upcoming nationally, gives you the ability to find that story that brings an angle relevant to your own news page. Remember our chat about Squares vs. Rectangles? Relevancy is king, but that doesn't mean you are left out of issues of a grand scale. It only means, you need to find the angle that brings that issue home.
National holidays and events are pretty much universal. Put them on your calendar! If you are editing a local page, you probably know of local events that happen at the same time every year, maybe the big annual football game between the two local rivals, the Fireman's Chili Cook-off, Veteran's Day parade. You know your town best., and you know what makes your town unique. If your news page is topic driven, rather than location based, you can still work the angles. How does Valentine's Day relate to Science / Tech or Recipes? You know there is a way. I know you can find it.
I'm going to be throwing out some editorial challenges in the upcoming days, throwing down a gauntlet, if you will. I'll post some glimpses into my own editorial calendar and you guys can take up the challenge to work it. In fact, this Sunday is Superbowl Sunday. How about working an angle for your newspage and linking us up in the comments?
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Comments (6)
On January 29, 2008 12:34 PM, JudieDJ said:
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/lewisburg-tn/T8BVM94DDU39MRK5I#lastPost
I'll go first. I asked for comments from the area here about where and how they were going to watch.
On January 29, 2008 12:59 PM, Groucho said:
@JudieDJ
That is a great idea -- I just did the same thing in my town, only I created a poll:
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/sunnyvale-ca/TVM1A0CNNGBRMPFQD#
On January 31, 2008 10:44 PM, Redoubt said:
Living in a smaller city, there’s not always a headliner or story of immediate local interest available. Schedules and planning ahead are certainly worthy but in some cases, you need to think outside of the box, as it were.
On a slow news day, I’ve begun digging the local newspapers and Google’s news archives for past events… sort of a ‘This Day in History’. Other avenues I haven’t yet gone down are researching local personalities that went on to make a name for themselves, both in the here and now as well as in historical context.
It’s all good information and sometimes quite entertaining as well.
On February 1, 2008 3:16 PM, emily said:
Way to go guys!!
@Redout - That's a GREAT idea. Small towns have their own challenges and that is an awesome tip!
On February 6, 2008 9:56 AM, Kathy SF said:
Even in times of of a slight drought for your subject, there is always a way to make the news relevant to your subject.
Would you believe we actually were able to do that with the Superbowl at the forum and newspage I edit, LOL!
Thanks for the continuous tips and encourgement Emily!
Kathy SF
On February 25, 2008 12:01 AM, rozy said:
HAving just finished a journalism degree, the first thing we were told about was the importance of a diary for exactly the reasons you have pointed out, Emily.
I have never had the chance to put that piece of advice into action by I am def. going to do it now.
This is a great way to encourage and teach ppl in the ways of the "great reporter"
Rozy