As your time in school progresses, the stories you cover must also progress meaning your stories become more difficult as time goes on. But one of the difficulties I have been running into this semester, more specifically, is that with the harder story topics I choose, the less sources want to talk to me because I am a student.
While I understand the hesitations many may have when talking to a student about a serious issue or topic, it becomes frustrating to constantly feel like I have to prove myself and my knowledge to allow people to feel comfortable opening up to me. This issue typically happens with a lot of government officials, due to the secrecy of the work their job entails, but has begun its decent to the regular, everyday citizens of Gainesville and Alachua County.
For example, I covered a story towards the beginning of the semester on the flu and how dangerous it can be for children under the age of nine. While I was able to get an interview with a pediatric doctor through UF Health, just getting a parent or daycare owner to talk was difficult. They expressed how they would be willing to speak to me about the topic but the thought of going on camera was something they were not interested in. After that I tried getting other sources in the medical field to talk about the harm the flu can cause to a young child's body, but consistently got denied due to the fact that it is a "complicated issue."
Although this is just one example, it has happened a handful of other times. I always try and express that I wouldn't skew the information they give me and tell my sources that I am trying to make my story as holistic as I can by giving all sides a chance to speak on the issue. But, rarely does that ever convince someone to actually talk to me.
Below are a few tips I have gained and came to realize over the past two months to get me through the situation of being questioned about my authenticity of being a "student reporter."
- Stay confident. If you show the individuals you are reaching out to that you are confident and proficient in the topic of discussion, they will feel a little bit more comfortable opening up to you. However, the moment you show your hesitation or nerves, they will immediately put up a wall and will give vague answers.
- Trust your knowledge, but don't be ignorant. While being confident in yourself and your knowledge is good and something you need to do, don't act like you know everything when talking to a source. Chances are they probably know a lot more on the topic of your story, otherwise why go to them for help? Show them you have a good background of information on your selected topic, but use your interview as a chance to grow and learn.
- Be as honest and transparent as you possibly can be. Let your sources know as much information as you can share and be clear with them the angle of your story. The more open and honest you are, the more willing they will be to share information to you and the more willing they will be to work with you in the future. All of which is something you desperately need as a student journalist.
- Finally, accept the fact that sometimes people will just not trust you. While you can easily persuade some people to talk to you for your story, there will be those few individuals who will without a doubt deny you and even question your ability as a reporter. It will happen but I promise there is always someone else out there that will answer your questions... you just have to find them.
While these tips are helpful, they don't always work. But, just like with anything else, try and see if you can find other ways or tricks to get people to open up to you. Being a student and a reporter is both an art and a science. It takes time to master but once you get the ball rolling, great things will come your way. Just show other people you have what it takes and they will begin to build that trust with you.
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