This document provides guidance on what constitutes an enterprise story and how to write one. It explains that enterprise stories go beyond basic news to explore underlying forces and issues through in-depth examination and multiple credible sources on all sides. Reporters are advised to dig deeper than just who, what, when and where by investigating why and how through primary sources like experts and documents.

1. Prepared by:
Prof. Grabowski

2. What is an enterprise story
 Enterprise reporting involves
stories not based on press
releases, daily events or news
conferences. Instead,
enterprise reporting is all about
the stories a reporter digs up on
his or her own, what many
people call “scoops.”

3. What is an enterprise story
 Enterprise reporting goes
beyond merely covering events.
It explores the forces shaping
those events. It provides in-
depth examinations of people
and issues. It anticipates future
developments, provides insights
into complicated situations and
sometimes even entertains,
among other things.

4. What is an enterprise story
 Unlike most breaking news stories,
which just focus on the who, what,
when and where, enterprise stories
delve deep into the why and how.
For instance, coverage of a murder
is not enterprise reporting; a story
that addresses why the murder rate
is higher in one particular area over
others is.

5. Cite credible sources
 A source provides reliable, truthful
information on a topic. A source can be a
spoken source/person (such as a witness,
an expert in the field, a school or
government official, an organization
leader or spokesperson, etc.) or a written
source/document (such as a study, a
survey, a government report, a court
decision, etc.)

6. Cite credible sources
 Your enterprise story should
contain a mix of several sources
(not just one or two), including at
least one written
source/document. Sources are an
essential part of enterprise stories
because they support whatever
claim your story is making by
providing evidence and
testimonials.

7. Types of sources
 A primary source offers the best and most
reliable information on a topic – information
that’s essential to your story. Often a primary
source is an expert, someone recognized as a
leading authority on a topic. Or a primary
source may be a person with firsthand
information on a topic. A primary source may
also be an original document or an official
report. Always find at least one primary source
for each story you write. But don’t just stop at
one. Use as many as you need to tell the story.

8. Types of sources
 A secondary source offers reliable
second-hand information on a topic.
Reference books, newspaper articles and
other media are common secondary
sources. People with informed opinions on
a topic can also serve as secondary
sources. For example, you may quote a
student’s opinion on a guest speaker. Use
secondary sources to expand your
information.

9. No anonymous sources
 Note: always avoid using
anonymous sources. This means
you need full names. Not partial
names, made-up names or vague
references (such as “a source said”
or “a student said” or “a professor
said”). If people are unwilling to talk
to you on the record, don’t interview
them.

10. Talk to all sides
 The things you write about will likely involve
controversial issues in which people disagree.
It is therefore important that you talk to
sources on all major sides involved in the
issue. If you’re writing about the food at the
cafeteria, you need to seek out dissatisfied
students as well as satisfied students. You
also must talk to university officials and food
service officials and give them a chance to
respond to any criticisms or complaints.

11. Talk to experts
 Don’t just get opinions from regular people
about issues. Talk to people with firsthand
knowledge. And talk to experts with
specialized knowledge. For example, if
you’re doing a story on divorce, you could
talk to people who have divorced and to
children of divorced parents. But you also
want to make sure you talk to counselors
who deal with divorce and psychology
professors who have done research on the
issue.

12. Talk to experts
 A story on online classes should
include opinions from students who
have taken online courses. But also
include info from professors who teach
them and university administrators like
the provost or dean who oversees
them. At some schools, there’s a
separate dean or VP who just handles
distance learning.

13. Finding experts
 Look locally: Many professors on campus are experts
on various topics. For example, Peggy Cassidy in the
Comm. Dept. is an expert on cyberbullying.
 Look online: HelpAreporter.com or ProfNet.com are
free websites that help reporters to locate sources for
their stories. (Note: If you want to use these websites,
be sure to talk to me first and I’ll assist you.)
 Do research: look up old stories on your topic, see
whom they cite and try to contact them yourself. (But
don’t plagiarize or lift quotes from other reporters’
stories!)

14. Talk to sources directly
 Do your own work. Don’t lift
quotes from other articles.
Contact all sources you use
and get your own quotes from
them yourself. Using quotes
from other newspapers is
plagiarism – and lazy. Provide
me with contact info for all
your sources.

15. Not a profile story
 You may use a particular person as an
anecdote for a larger issue but your story
should not just be about one person. (For an
example, see the enterprise story I posted on
tattoos at http://cubreporters.org/tattoo.) This
assignment should focus on an issue or
trend, not a person. This article should be
different than your profile story.

16. Still a news story
 That means the typical rules of journalism apply:
you need sources and quotes, a strong lead, tight
writing, good organization, AP Style, etc. Also:
write your story in the third person. Third person is
any person, place, or thing other than the speaker
(I, we) and the addressed (you). This means using
he, she, it, him, her, they, them, etc. Eliminate the
words I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, you and your
from your story unless you indicate that a source
said them. And don't inject your opinion into the
story, even if it's in the third person

17. Requires more work
 Your enterprise story will be about
twice as long and require twice as
much time as your profile story.
Because this is a more in-depth
story, this story should be longer
and include more sources than
your profile story. That means it
will also take more time to do
than your profile story.

18. Suggested process
 1) Choose topic. For example, you might want to
focus on online classes. The university’s
administration recently said they want to offer more
online courses and even online degrees.

19. Process cont’d
 2) Develop story idea. Online classes are increasingly
popular at universities -- and the university wants to get
into the business. But they’re also controversial.
Proponents say they offer students flexibility and
convenience. Online classes save students time because
they don't require commuting to campus and they tend to
be much cheaper. Additionally, they are a big money
maker for schools, who don’t have to spend money
providing classroom space or electricity as they do with
traditional brick-and-mortar classes. On the other hand,
critics contend they don’t provide the same educational
experience as a traditional classroom setting. Some
students struggle to adjust to the different learning style.
What is the future of online classes?

20. Process cont’d
 3) Identify sources and gather info: Talk to people who
support online classes: administrators at universities that
offer them, professors who teach online classes, students
who take online classes and liked them. Also talk to
opponents of online classes: educators opposed to them
and students who took them and didn’t like the
experience as much as a traditional classroom setting.
Gather info: how many schools offer online classes? How
large is the industry (i.e. how much money per year do
online classes generate?)? Have any studies been done
comparing online classes to traditional classes?

21. Process cont’d
 4) Conduct interviews and outline story. What will
the main points be?
 5) Write story
 6) Revise: gather missing info and edit.
 7) Proofread: consider going to Writing Center for
assistance or having a good writer review your story.
 8) Submit story by deadline.

22. For more info…
 Read the directions at
http://cubreporters.org/enterpri
se_story and talk to me:
Prof. Grabowski
c: 202-360-8900
e: mgrabowski [at] adelphi.edu

23. Don’t forget!
Imust approve your
enterprise story topic. If you
decide to change it, you
must check with me first.