One of the hardest parts of journalism is finding a story to tell in the first place. However, there are many resources that can help you come up with story ideas that are free and easy to access. Here are a few:
- Google Trends shows what people are searching on Google, giving a snapshot of ongoing interest by geography, related topics, and more.
- Instagram is increasingly a source of news for younger audiences. Following hashtags on Instagram is a great way to keep on top of trending topics.
- Look at forums on the subjects you’re interested in on Reddit, especially conversation forums on certain topics.
- Use Tweetdeck to follow multiple hashtags or feeds simultaneously on Twitter. Tweetdeck is especially useful to see what people are talking about during breaking news events.
- Use Facebook Live, which features video content from people around the world, and helps mobile journalists see what kind of videos others are posting.
IJNet's parent organization, ICFJ, partnered with the Meta Journalism Project and Seen on its Facebook Video Storytellers-Africa program.