A topic can feel like an exciting starting point because it sounds like anything and everything. Local schools, public transport, a new set of cafes, or student stress, it seems like a journalist could write anything about all of it. It’s only when you pull out your pen and notebook that you get stuck. There are too many directions to go, too many possible sources, and not a single reason to write this piece right now. The answer to getting un-stuck is your story angle. An angle turns a topic into a specific question that can be reported.
If you imagine a topic to be an area, the angle is a specific door in the area. “Public transport” is an area. “Why a new bus timetable is making commutes in the morning worse for students using the east side buses” sounds more like an angle. It points to a change, a group of people, a specific place, and a potential conflict. You should be able to think of sources for this story, such as a student using that transport, a representative from the transport office, a bus driver, or someone who can explain the timetable. You should also be able to think of what facts would need to be checked, like when the new timetable was released, the routes involved, how the schedule changed, and stories from bus riders.
A handy way to narrow a topic is to think about three things: What has changed? Who has been affected? What is reportable? If the topic is, for example, “the new cafes,” you probably shouldn’t write, “the cafes are becoming more popular.” That’s too broad. A better angle would be, “How small cafes around a university campus are changing where university students go between lectures.” This angle suggests things for you to observe and ask about, like opening hours, the amount of seating, prices, noise levels, free Wi-Fi, and what students typically do after their classes. This is the beginning of an article path instead of a cloud of ideas.
To prepare, write out your topic at the top of a page, and then make three shorter topics to choose from. In your smaller topics, include a person or group of people, a location, and a question or focus. Your initial topic “housing” might become, “How are first-year students finding accommodation close to the university campus?” “Why are older rental apartments the subject of more repair claims from students?” or “What are students checking for before agreeing to rent a room for the summer term?” You wouldn’t want to select the one that feels the most interesting, but the one where you can report about with available sources, observations, and checkable facts.
A bad angle might seem to be hiding in broad generalizations. Words like community, change, problem, development, and effect are okay to use, but they don’t give you much to report on. Be more specific. “The effects of changes to university meals” doesn’t give you enough to work with. What has changed on the tray? Who has commented on this? What is the position from the university? What is the effect on university students eating out? These changes will help you move from an opinion to reporting. They will also make interview questions simpler because you’ll be asking specific questions rather than offering broad ones.
When you have a potential angle, try to find some people to interview for it. The source list doesn’t have to be long initially. Just think of one or two people or publications that might be able to answer the reporting question. If you can’t, the angle might not be narrow enough yet. If the only source you can think of would just give an opinion, you’re still a step away from something reportable. A good story needs some human interest as well as facts that you can verify. Check public announcements, timetables, policies, costs, events, and official documents.
If your angle is sharp, you will also make it easier to come up with a lead. It’s easy to come up with a vague opening from a wide topic like, “Transport is an important subject for many people.” A specific angle means you can start with something specific, like a story, scene, or conflict: a student missing the beginning of a class because of a change in bus schedules, a cafe owner increasing the amount of seating over exam time, or a student looking at rental prices and finding a difference. You’re not just writing detail for the sake of detail. You’re giving the reader an idea of the beginning of your story.
When you have an angle, you should be able to say what your story isn’t. If your story is about how a single change in bus schedules affects one group of students, it isn’t about the entire public transport system. If you’re writing about how students are using a selection of campus cafes for studying, then it’s not a restaurant guide. That can help you. It’ll keep your writing focused as you get started, and it will help your reporting notes. If you feel overwhelmed by how large your topic is, don’t write about everything. Look for a small question that can be reported honestly.