What's New?
One of the biggest rules in journalism is to not be repetitive when writing -- over using the same words in copy, making slugs different, etc. -- and covering a story is no exception. But just because it has been covered the day before, or even a few days before, does not mean you cannot find a new (interesting) angle for the day's broadcast.
In Thursday's broadcast, there was not really a situation that presented itself to search for a new angle on a story. We had two pieces that were tied to big stories, but came with their own angle. The first was on Typhoon Haiyan. USC's athletic department hosted an event where they would serve up 40,000 dishes to be sent over to the Philippines to aid in the relief effort. The second involved the Affordable Care Act. California Covered said they would not follow the President's plan and continue coverage past the end of the year, leaving thousands without health care insurance.
Better examples of finding new angles would be from the week before when we wanted to continue coverage on Typhoon Haiyan. After talking about prepping for the storm, then the storm hitting, then the devastation, then how people continue to need relief efforts, the staff had to get creative. Kristen Rogers thought of adding a social media element, and search for people who were using social media to help those in the philippines.
Overall, sometimes there are huge stories that the audience will want to hear more about day after day. It is our job to find a way to report the story and find something new to give to the viewers. It's not always easy, but getting creative -- like using social media -- can really make your package stand out from the competition.