1. Recruit people with a mission: look for the types of people to work with who know what they want and are willing to go after it.
2. Use information that is uniquely valuable: look for the information that you as a citizen participator can contribute that has the “unique” factor which makes it more valuable.
3. Remember who your audience is: remember the people who you’re targeting with this story and make it pertain to their interests.
4. Be aware of the tools available to you: think about all the ways you can get your story out there whether it be blogs, social media tools, etc.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions: just because you’re not a traditional journalist doesn’t mean you can’t provide important information, which sometimes requires digging deep to get the answers you’re looking for.
6. Remember the truth above all else: always be a promoter of the truth, first and foremost!
7. Conduct yourself in a professional manner: always be upfront about being a “reporter,” and be courteous.
8. Be thorough!: reporting starts with fact checking, double-check everything! Gather all the information that you can about a story and get both sides.
9. Be objective and fair: writing a story is not about your own opinions, be sure to present both sides, especially if the story is issue-based or controversial. Remember it’s about what the people in your story have to say.
10. Avoid libel: brush yourself up on what you need to know about libel law, so you don’t find yourself in the middle of a lawsuit.
11. Avoid plagiarism: with easy access to the world’s information, you must be careful to stay away from copying other people’s work that you find on the internet.
12. Think about using multimedia to package your story so as to appeal to more people: think about what visual medium will be the best to tell your story.
13. Write conversationally: remember to write your stories like you would tell them to a friend. This is important in engaging the audience to read/listen to what you have to say.
14. Always look for that one thing that makes you stand out above the rest as an effective storyteller: find that unique thing that makes you a good storyteller and stick with it. It might be the use of still images or video in combination with the text you write, or both.
15. Look for the stories that no one is talking about, and tell them: find the stories that no one is reporting or talking about, and be the person who brings those issues/discussions to the table.
16. Use social media to “spread the gospel” about your story: you don’t have to rely on traditional marketing tools. Promote your story on Facebook, and Twitter, just get the word out, and your audience will follow.
17. Use visual elements to enhance the promotion of your story: when using social media tools to promote a story, include a picture or small video tease to go along with the text and link that you provide. This helps engage the audience.
18. Find a community of storytellers to share ideas and suggestions with: get plugged in, whether it’s through a group of Facebook, or some other social networking site, and encourage each other, and promote each other’s work.
19. Get Feedback: don’t be afraid to ask for help or get feedback from people around you. Sometimes it takes another person’s eye to spot something you might have missed.
20. Find people to work with who share your same passions: similar to finding stories that you can be passionate about, when you’re looking for people to work with, it’s important to share the same vision on a given project.
