Narrow It Down

Worksheet Description

This Story Pitch Forms worksheet is a structured guide for students to outline their ideas for a journalistic story. It prompts them to specify their “beat,” or the specific subject area of their reporting, followed by the main idea of their story. The form further asks for the primary source of the story, details about the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how” aspects, what they already know, what they need to find out, and potential sources for the information.

The worksheet is teaching students the foundational steps of preparing a story pitch in journalism. It instructs them to narrow down their focus through the concept of a beat, to crystallize the core of their story into a main idea, and to identify and evaluate their sources. Students learn to meticulously plan their research by distinguishing between known facts and knowledge gaps, which encourages thorough and responsible reporting. Furthermore, the worksheet aids in developing organizational skills that are crucial for effective storytelling and information dissemination.