Your editors will thank you in advance. Ask how a state, national, or even international story affects the local scene. Periodically check in with sources to ask what's up. Hand out your business cards like candy. Read the classifieds.
Weird things pop up.
Annoy friends and family by deciding everything they say is a possible story. Steve Padilla is assistant national political editor at the Los Angeles Times . This tip was adapted from materials presented at The Poynter Institute's High Performance Management seminar in Oakland, Calif., April 2-7, 2000. Nearly 50 years of what he got right and wrong. Invisible Stories in Obvious News Tips to get beneath the surface.