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Finding and telling news stories: Sima Kotecha
How does Sima find stories?
- Social media is where Sima finds something compelling which leads to a story
- Talking to people on the street or at events can lead to a story idea
- What makes a good story?
Can you explain your story or idea to an 11 year old?
- ‘Keep it simple stupid’ (KISS)
- Real people with compelling stories, different feelings, personalities, problems and issues
- "Be bold, be brave, don’t be scared – go up to that person you think won’t talk and ask them for that interview" – Sima Kotecha
What makes a good reporter?
- You have to be an expert very quickly. There is no room for getting anything wrong. Read, listen and talk to people
- You need to produce your interviewees to keep them to topic. A phone conversation can help
- Be bold, be brave, don’t be scared
- Building relationships with contributors
Be patient
- Listen
- You cannot just show up and start recording
- Get what you need and leave, before the amount of material you gather becomes overwhelming
- Package making
A typical package for the Today programme is just four minutes long and ideally even shorter at three and a half
- Have a dramatic clip at the beginning and a dramatic clip at the end
- You have to be ruthless
- Go for those bits of audio that you know people at home will go wow!
A journalist’s job is to:
- Be independent
- Conjure up debate
- Invite the audience to challenge what they have heard on the radio and make their own minds up
- Show both sides to a story
- Find answers to questions everybody want’s answers to
A journalist’s job is NOT to:
- Over complicate things
- Say what is right or wrong
- Be dictated to by contributors
View all episodes
By BBC Radio
3.8
1313 ratings
How does Sima find stories?
- Social media is where Sima finds something compelling which leads to a story
- Talking to people on the street or at events can lead to a story idea
- What makes a good story?
Can you explain your story or idea to an 11 year old?
- ‘Keep it simple stupid’ (KISS)
- Real people with compelling stories, different feelings, personalities, problems and issues
- "Be bold, be brave, don’t be scared – go up to that person you think won’t talk and ask them for that interview" – Sima Kotecha
What makes a good reporter?
- You have to be an expert very quickly. There is no room for getting anything wrong. Read, listen and talk to people
- You need to produce your interviewees to keep them to topic. A phone conversation can help
- Be bold, be brave, don’t be scared
- Building relationships with contributors
Be patient
- Listen
- You cannot just show up and start recording
- Get what you need and leave, before the amount of material you gather becomes overwhelming
- Package making
A typical package for the Today programme is just four minutes long and ideally even shorter at three and a half
- Have a dramatic clip at the beginning and a dramatic clip at the end
- You have to be ruthless
- Go for those bits of audio that you know people at home will go wow!
A journalist’s job is to:
- Be independent
- Conjure up debate
- Invite the audience to challenge what they have heard on the radio and make their own minds up
- Show both sides to a story
- Find answers to questions everybody want’s answers to
A journalist’s job is NOT to:
- Over complicate things
- Say what is right or wrong
- Be dictated to by contributors
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