Story pitch forms are a useful tool for reporters who are developing a story. Use this form to guide your thinking about what your article will be about and whom you will contact to interview for your story. Remember the requirements of our stories:

— Each story will be 500-750 words in length.
— Each story will have no fewer than THREE SEPARATE HUMAN SOURCES whom you have interviewed.
— If you’re covering a speech story, you must include lots of quotes from the speech or lecture; comment about the speech from a member of the audience; and comment from one other type of source, which might be another audience member, an event organizer, a protester, or someone else who provides an opposing viewpoint about the ideas presented by the person who gave the lecture or speech. 

Topic Beat Story Pitch Form

  1. The topic, issue, or public event I plan to write is about:

 

  1. This story is appropriate to my beat because:

 

  1. This story is timely because:

 

  1. These are among the people in the community (aka stakeholders) who are affected by this topic or issue:

 

  1. My leader source will be:

          This source can answer the following questions I have about this story:

 

  1. My expert source will be:

            This source can answer the following questions I have about this story:

 

  1. My functionary source will be:

            This source can answer the following questions I have about this story:

 

  1. My real people source or sources will be:

            This source can answer the following questions I have about this story:

 

  1. These are the names of the three people with whom I am setting up interviews for this story:

 

Source 1:

Person’s name:

Email:

Phone number:

Source 2:

Person’s name:

Email:

Phone number:

Source 3:

Person’s name:

Email:

Phone number: