Journalism 133: Prof. Craig: Story Ideas Exercise, Part II

Story Ideas Exercise, Part II

1. Life after campus e-scooter ban

• Electric scooters were banned from campus in January. Since then, students have used traditional scooters, as well as skateboards to get around school. A few months after the ban, what are student's thoughts on it? Have the substitutes for e-scooters been proficient? Do students feel safer on campus?
• The audience for the story would be people that spend time on campus. Many were fans of the e-scooters, while many were opposed. Readers can find out if the ban made a difference on campus.
  Specific people to reach out to would be students who relied on electric scooters and are now riding traditional scooters/skateboards. Other source would be campus police and representatives from the Bird or Lime companies.
• A reporter would need to find out about any injuries that occurred on campus as a result of e-scooters. They'd also need to find out specific rules and regulations regarding the ban.
• A secondary story could involve finding a student that relied on the scooters as a cheap way to get to campus. How did they feel about the ban, and how has it affected their commute.

2. SJSU Recreation Center Update

• The new student recreation center was supposed to open "Spring 2019," and was eventually narrowed down to March. It's now April, and construction appears to not even being close to being complete. This story would report on the trouble in constructing the building and try to find out why the opening date was so misjudged.
• The audience would appeal to the campus community and student-athletes. All that's in the recreation center would interest students and athletes, since some programs will be practicing/competing inside the building.
• Interview subjects can include construction workers involved with the project, students at the gym currently in the Event Center, student-athletes (specifically swimming/water polo), and those in charge of the project, preferably at the executive level.
• The original timeline of the project, all of the finances going into thge building, and what delays have happened within the construction. What the reporter will need to learn is if the center will be done on time and what will happen to the gym inside of the Event Center.
• Secondary story could be what happens to the current, small (terrible) gym in the Event Center? Will that be turned into something else upon the opening of the Recreation Center? What happens to the current employees?

3. SJSU Squirrels

• Squirrels have taken over SJSU's campus. They are everywhere, and they are huge. A popular Twitter account called @SJSUSquirrel has surfaced, chronicling the adventures of the little fellas. The story is, why do squirrels invade campus in this mass quantities? And what, if any, problems do they bring to campus?
• The audience is students that have had encounters with the squirrels and are intrigued at their presence. Also, students that have seen the @SJSUSquirrel Twitter account and are intrigued by it.
• Interview subjects could include students around campus, also gardeners/landscapers/janitors around campus that have to deal with them. Is there a Caddyshack-type situation with them? Or do they embrace their presence? Also, interview whoever runs that Twitter account.
• A reporter would basically just need to know who to talk to. Also, would need to observe the squirrels and see what they do/eat on campus.
• A secondary story would be to find out why squirrels tend to invade college campuses.