Finding Sources

In journalism, sources can be people or information that provide insight into a story to add credibility.

These sources are broken up into two categories: primary and secondary.

Primary sources are people, and secondary sources are information such as public records, data, academic articles, old newspaper articles, books, textbooks, and research articles.

Any article written will have a good balance of the two.

For example, a new park has been built, and it's opening day. I am at the event and hear people are excited about the new park. I introduce myself, and ask if they would like to be part of the story; if they agree, then I ask them a few questions and then thank them for their insight. I hear the event host speaking about the new park, and then I go to talk to them. They are a primary source that adds credibility to the story by having their thoughts and opinions on the event. During this event, I received additional information on the park via flyers and documents; these are my secondary sources. Writing the article with both source types in mind makes a well-rounded story.

In my experience, finding both of these sources varies depending on the story; however, one thing remains crucial: accurate credibility. This means that when a journalist gets their sources, they must get the source's name, their title (what they do), their website and document links, and most importantly, their pronunciation right. When I was a rookie, I learned that primary sources are to be accurate what they say has to be word for word what they said or paraphrased, and secondary sources are to be hyperlinked. It is always good to have 2 or more primary sources to pair with your secondary.

Speaking from experience, the last thing any journalist wants to do is mess up a name, a title, or someone's pronouns, or forget to add a link to vital information.