TIPS: REPORTING

TAKE YOUR ASSIGNMENT AND IMPROVE IT: No assignment is too humble. Use your imagination. Strive for a fresh approach. Tap neglected sources. In short, take a lemon and make lemonade. Str-r-etch. Editors will love you.

FOCUS ON HUMANITY: People usually are at the heart of news. Let the people closest to the story tell it. Public officials and experts are useful for background material and explanations, but the people who live the event are your best sources. They provide vivid accounts and memorable I-was-there quotes.

DIVERSITY: Strive for racial, ethnic and gender diversity in your sources.

TALK TO STRANGERS, CEASELESSLY: Strike up conversations with folks in the elevator, at the lunch counter, in the airport boarding line. Stories are everywhere, waiting to be discovered. You might be off duty but don't put your mind in cold storage.

ASK PROBING QUESTIONS: Keep your questions open ended. Minimize yes/no replies. Unless you intend to confront someone, don't appear judgmental. Project a tone of honest inquiry. Draw people out.

NEVER BURN A SOURCE: Honor your commitment to a source. It's the First Commandment of reporting. If you promise anonymity, preserve it. If you promise to delay publication of a story in exchange for the information, specify a release date and stick to your bargain.

SCHMOOZE THE LITTLE PEOPLE: Often your best sources will be clerks, secretaries and janitors, not big shots. Show those ordinary, hard working citizens respect. Take a minute, smile, chat about their lives. They'll respond with tips. When a big story breaks, they can be invaluable. Remember: Make friends before you need them.

REMEMBER YOUR MISSION: "What's the news here? Why should people care about it?" Make that your tribal chant. Repeat at regular intervals as you gather and sift information. The incantation will help shape your lead and give focus to your story as you report it.

LOOK FOR THE REAL STORY: Go beyond what happened. Ask why it happened and keep asking. Readers want understanding, not just breathless information. Speed and simplicity are vital in coverage of breaking news, but be alert to underlying factors and issues.

WORK THE EDGES: When news breaks, keep one eye on the perimeter. Watch for the offbeat, the special perspective, the poignant touch. Example: When tragedy strikes, find out all you can about the victim. Often a powerful story is waiting to be told, but you must get beyond name, age and address.

TRUST YOUR FEELINGS: If a story sounds phony, it probably is.

HAVE SOME FUN: Angels fly because they lightened up.