How to Localize a Story as a TV Reporter

Localizing a TV story means you take a national or regional story and find meaning for it locally. Perhaps it's a story about the price of food rising nationally because of oil prices. You check in with local grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries and see if they're affected by it. Then you do a news story on how the bakery owner has increased prices to make up for food costs.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Pay attention to national news. You can't be a good local TV reporter if you're clueless about national news. This is where you'll find a plethora of information you can localize for your viewers.

2. Read over national news wires and AP articles. Look for items that are of particular interest to your viewers. Economic, health and education news are three areas with endless local possibilities.

3. Ask yourself if your typical viewer would care about this. That's the key to localizing news stories. It has to affect your viewers for them to care.

4. Make calls. Once you find something--say it's the increasing rate of illiteracy--start calling local agencies. Call the your state's board of education or local school district. Find out local illiteracy numbers.

5. Look for a way to expand the story. Once you have the data or confirmation to back up the national issue's reach into your city, find the personal story. Maybe its the 60-year-old man just learning how to read, for example.

6. Consider studies and statistics to be your friend. You can pull a variety of local news stories from both resources. Whether it's the latest cancer numbers or a study on teenagers overdosing on prescription drugs, both issues can be localized.