Every show starts with a collection of stories. It is the job of the staff to come up with the ideas for those stories. Included below are ten story ideas. Below that section there are five ways to generate new story ideas.
Coverage Ideas
Coverage Idea #1 – Sports/Entertainment: The FAN
There are many fans out there, but there always seems like there is a story on the Yankee fan available (If the Yankees are not in the hunt for the playoffs, find a team who is). The Yankees seem to be always close to the World Series in the fall – this could be a great opportunity to highlight the extremely active local fan. Any sport or team could work though. Sometimes the team who disappoints works well too.
Sources – Local expert – Team fan club president, students, teachers, coach/players
Web Resource – If you are looking for a Yankee fan go to these sites…
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy
http://www.yankeetradition.com/
Coverage Idea #2 – Reversal of Roles: Powderpuff Football
In the fall, there are powderpuff games everywhere and so this presents an interesting time to do a story on females performing in traditionally male arenas. It doesn’t have to be football… it can be in any area where women aren’t traditionally the dominant sex.
Sources – Powderpuff players, coaches, teachers, students, guidance counselors, JROTC commanders
Coverage Idea #3 – Features: Helping the Needy –
With the unemployment rate continuing to rise many community members are facing more difficult times. This story has a variety of possibilities, but it primary will focus on the people who dedicate themselves to helping the less fortunate. It also will serve to inform the community of local efforts to help people during the upcoming winter and holiday months.
Sources -Homeless shelter director, volunteers, people who have received help (must protect their privacy)
Web Resources – http://www.cvc.vipnet.org/cgi-bin/cvc-iew.cgi?org_id=1a09061174806609300
http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/report.php
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_wsj-homeless_in_america.htm
Coverage Idea #4 – Technology: The Electronic Book
The Kindle device has been gaining popularity and along with other e-books, it seems as more people are reading books on electronic devices . This electronic book has been becoming more affordable and could change how students study for class or use the library. Has the e-book made the library obsolete?
Sources – Students, librarian, technology reps at stores like Best Buy
Web Resources –http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015T963C
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/tag/kindle/
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2008/08/here_comes_kind.html
Coverage Idea #5 – Features: Online Educational Programs
The obvious aspect is one that deals with proximity to how many teachers are improving their education through online graduate study. However a new trend in high school education is taking courses online. Some students in a local county that face overcrowding in their schools choose now to do their senior year at home on a computer.
Sources – Local Expert – Online coordinator for local universities, Department of Education, principals, Director of Secondary Education, teachers, students
Web Source – http://www.online-education.net/courses/high-school-diploma-courses.html
http://www.edweek.org/ew/index.html
Coverage Idea #6 – Features: Odd Jobs – (Similar to the TV show Dirtiest Jobs)
Teenagers work all kinds of jobs after school. Just like the television show “Dirtiest Jobs” some of our students do tough work. The purpose of this article is to reveal how hard some of our students work to get that extra cash after school.
Sources – students, bosses, employment offices, co-op teachers
Coverage Idea #7 – Health & Nutrition: Local Gardeners
This idea developed over a conversation I had with a couple of friends who said that they were thinking about getting into farming. The story would focus on younger people involved with farming on a smaller scale (at home/small acreage – or even smaller in their apartments). Traditionally one thinks of family farming and generations passing the trade down the line. This story could look at new farmers and what has made them grow more of the food they eat.
Sources -Local expert – 4H leader – Teachers/students who garden, produce workers, farmers, hardware store employees who work in the gardening section
Web Resources – http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/oct/26/intricate_art_subsistence_gardening/
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/howardAT/ATtoc.html
Coverage Idea #8 – Sports: From film to Friday: Follow a coach’s preparation
With a new coach, many people are interested in how s/he will be coaching differently from the last one.
Sources: Head football coach, assistant coaches, players, athletic director
Coverage Idea #9 – Health: Diabetes National Awareness Month
Diabetes is on the rise in the nation. Type II is being seen in more and more children. The purpose of this article is to inform readers how people develop diabetes and what can be done to improve one’s chances of not developing it as one gets older.
Sources – doctors, nurses, health professionals, diabetics, teachers
Web Source – http://www.diabetes.org/
Coverage Idea #10 – Politics: Running for Public Office
Election day will take place at the beginning of November every year and the path to public office is one that is unclear for many readers. This story will explore how many start their dream of working in public office as early as high school.
Sources – Local expert – an elected official, County officials, government teacher
Web Source – http://www.civnet.org/…http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Local.shtml… http://www.princegeorgeva.org/
Here are FIVE PLACES to find ideas for stories.
1. Watch other news broadcasts. Localize the national ideas by including interviews of your local experts.
2. Read popular magazines. Magazines have great interviews on some of the topics that you are most interested in. Keep a collection of stories on a rack in the classroom.
3. Scan the announcements. So often the staff overlooks the messages sent in to read off for the announcements. There are bigger stories to be told hidden in a simple announcement for the chess club to meet tomorrow afternoon.
4. Check out other news websites. The NYTimes has an excellent section on video. In addition sites like ESPN has a series of stories on athletes with it’s 30 for 30 series.
5. Keep an eye on the calendar. The Ad Council keeps an updated calendar each month to help producers create PSA’s. 
Broadcast Staff Manual For The Scholastic Press 