Human sources

News writing needs human sources to make the story credible and readable. You can find human sources in a number of ways.

1. Newspaper files.All newspapers have reference libraries, where clips of stories that have been published in the paper are stored. You can also find human sources on the internet in news groups and bulletin board services.

Before you begin reporting for any assignment, your first step is to check the clips. There you can find the names of people cited in previous stories about the subject. When you are assigned to a breaking-news-event, such as a fire or accident, you may not have time to check clips before you leave the office, but you should check them before you begin writing.

If you are using information from other newspapers, magazines, broadcasts or other published sources, you must attribute the publication where the material appeared.

2. “Sponsorship”. Suppose you find a source who is reluctant to talk to you, such as a police official. You can use a technique that Mark Porter calls “sponsorship”, getting someone who knows and trusts you to recommend you the new source.

You can also use “sponsorship” as a self-introduction technique when you set up an interview. Give your name and say, “Chief Joe Smith suggested I call you” or “Chief Joe Smith gave me your name”. Then explain the purpose for your call.

3. “Self-sponsorship”. Nancy Tracy, a former reporter for The Hartford Courant was in trouble. She was forking on a follow-up story about the survivors in a bridge collapse. But a key source, Eileen Weldon, wouldn’t talk to her or anyone else in the media. She had severe injures and was tired of press coverage.

So Tracy tried self-sponsorship, a way of recommending herself. “I’m going to send you some clips of other stories I have done to chow you I am a very sensitive reporter,” she told Weldon. “Please, read them. I’ll call you in a few days. If you don’t think I can be fair, I won’t ever bother you again.” Tracy got the interview. Her clips “sponsored” her.

4. Matchmaking. You have found a source and you are interviewing him or her. But you want the names for other sources for the story. Try “matchmaking”, a form of sponsorship. Ask the source who else might know something about the subject or have an opposing point of view. Who else is involved in the issue? Ask how you can reach those people.

5. Primary and secondary sources. When you are conducting an interview, if your source says something about another person, particularly if it is derogatory or controversial, make sure you check with that second person. The first source’s statement not only could be wrong, they could also be libelous. You should even check out written information about sources to make sure it’s accurate.

In most cases, except when your secondary sources are famous people, such as the president or celebrities who cannot be contacted, do not use someone’s name in a story without making an attempt to check with that person.

6. The up/ down principle. If you want to get the most vivid information about the story, talk to the people who were directly involved. Go down the organizational ladder. Contact the police officer who wrote the report, the researcher who conducted the study or the source closest to the accident.

After you have interviewed people down the ladder, go up the ladder of the organization. Who is the next supervisor with responsibility? Who is the official with ultimate responsibility for the department or organization?

You can proceed either way. You can start with the top official and then go to the primary people or the reverse. In many cases people will refuse to talk to you until they have authorization from their supervisors and you may often have no choice but to start with the top officials.