This month I’ve been working on a story for the Herald’s education section. My editor emailed me telling me that she found out that the rate of 16 year olds getting their drivers licenses is down.
My job is to find out why and produce a feature story with pictures to be published in the newspaper.
In order to do this I had to ask myself, “How do teens generally get their licenses?”
Answer: Drivers ed in school, drivers school
So I called the school board to speak to the person over the drivers ed programs and he said that the school board was meeting because of budget cuts and this program was one of the ones being cut.
That’s one quote.
Next, I have to put a local spin on this national trend so I called around to different high schools to speak to drivers ed teachers and principles to ask about how their programs were doing and what they tell students who want to take drivers ed and can’t do it at their school.
That’s another quote.
Since every story generally should have at least 3 sources, I decided to call up a drivers school and that interview was the most rewarding. The owner spoke about a variety of reason why kids aren’t getting their licenses, the main one being the cost of insurance and gas.
Since this isn’t a news story, I won’t lead the story with a hard lead like : 16 year olds are not getting their licenses due to…..
No, it’s a feature story so I have to use a soft lead with a personal angle. You have to put a face on the issue. I’m still looking around Miami for a 16 year old to interview about learning to drive and their experience. I hope that the parent of the child will grant an interview too, so I can paint an accurate picture.
For the photo that I have to submit, I think I’ll send the photographer to the driving school to get a few pics from there or if the teen I find has an interesting story, say he decided that he can’t get a car because it’s too expensive, I’ll try to get pics of the teen on the bus or at the metrorail.
So far I have not written one word of this story, I’m just piecing it together in my mind. I’ll start with the personal story of the teen and the parents and then I’ll go with the quote from the school board person. Next, I’ll add the quote from the drivers school and maybe the principal, if it’s not redundant.
When my deadline is closer, it will all gel more easily, I’m sure.
So…that’s how I put together my feature stories.
My next story is about two women who live together and co-parent their 6 children. They’re not sexually involved, it’s just how they choose to be single moms, but in a way, they aren’t single moms because they have each other.
I love what I do. I do it well.
I am so blessed to actually be a professional journalist. I am appreciative of that fact, every single day. Thank you GOD!