Stay on top of what's happening around you

One thing a journalist should never do is to stop learning. It keeps your mind sharp, it gives you new job skills and it provides a constant source for new ideas. You don’t have to sign up for a university course, but you should always be looking for ways to learn something new.

Read the paper—Read the paper, especially your own newspaper, every day. Read the ads and the classifieds. You’ll find out things you didn’t know and get ideas for story ideas. If you work at a small paper, read a larger daily to keep up on state and national news.

Be a news junkie—Turn on the national news on the television or radio while you’re getting ready for work or riding in the car. Spend a few minutes checking online news sites for developing stories and read the wire.

Be curious—A reporter’s best tool is his or her own curiosity. Be mindful of what’s going on in your community, listen to what your neighbors are talking about or what other people are discussing at restaurants, at the bus stop, in the gym or at the doctor’s office. Watch people’s body language. If they whisper or huddle close when you’re around, find out what they are talking about. I used to bring a book that I pretended to read during closed sessions at board meetings. I would listen to the conversations that would go around me when staff members thought I wasn’t paying attention. I got some great tips that way.

Look for new ideas—When you travel, pick up the local paper. Stop by the visitor’s center and ask about local attractions, favorite restaurants and things to do. I often find ideas that I can use for my own publications.

Take a class—If you don’t know much about a subject you feel is essential to your job, take a class. Whether it’s a digital photography class, a class on political science or wildflowers, or golf lessons, if it helps you with your stories, make the time.

Ask questions—Find a local source in the community who is willing to take the time to explain something to you. Ask the city manager about the city budget, the local sheriff about police procedures or a lawyer about a complicated court case. I learned the most about court procedures from a District Attorney who took the time to explain the complicated system to me when I was fresh out of college.

News University—One of the best tools is the News University, www.newsu.org, which provides online courses on everything from headline writing to freedom of information issues to covering water quality. The News University is a project of the Poytner Institute for Media Studies (poynter.org) and many of the courses are available for free.

Attend a conference—Look for conferences for industry associations on issues that are part of your beat. You’ll find out what the association members are talking about and develop sources for future stories.