Investigate This!
<img alt="shokked.jpg" src="/mbtoolbox/files/original/shokked-thumb.jpg" width="158" height="157" align="left"Investigative writing is one of the most daunting tasks a freelancer can take on, but you can do it. Yeah! Learn how by taking Tom Zoellner‘s Finding the Holy Sh*t Story (tee hee!) class. You will enjoy it, Tom Zoellner is a cool dude and he knows what he is talking about. If you don’t believe me, check out some of his tips below.
Looking for sources within an unhappy organization? Warning: Try this trick ONLY if your hand has already been tipped, i.e., the management knows you’re doing the story, because what you do here is guaranteed to get back to them.
If you can get hold of one person’s phone number within the organization-say it’s 867-5309-try dialing the numbers up and down from it-i.e., 867-5310 and 867-5308-to reach some random colleagues. When they answer, introduce yourself in your friendliest voice and say: “Just hear me out on this before we hang up. I’d really like to talk to you about XYZ and you can stay completely anonymous. Even a point in the right direction would be a huge help, etc.” The longer you keep them on the phone, the more comfortable you’ll make them feel.
A more discreet way to do this, (but one that will still probably tip your hand to management, and it’s more time-consuming, too) is to find the after-work bar where some of the staff goes for happy hour. You can find this bar by canvassing nearby establishments and asking the bartenders, “Hey, any people from the Acme Company ever come here after work?” Become a semi-regular and start saddling up to strangers. Keep the drinks coming to them once they start talking. In Vino Veritas.
Try to obtain a company phone directory from a source within. This will not only give you work numbers, it’s a handy list of titles, and occasionally some home numbers.
Gentle appeals to make to reluctant sources are: 1) The public’s right to know, 2) the subject’s desire to expose wrongdoing in their own organization, 3) The subject’s desire to embarrass somebody (although you should NEVER say this is what you yourself are out to do-this could get you in serious trouble. 4) The subject’s desire to see the story told right. Say something like, “I really need you to help me get the truth out.” 5) If you feel brave, try quoting the British statesman Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.”
If the reluctant source happens to be a subject of the story, emphasize that you are interested in giving them a fair shake. Mean it.
You could also say something like, “Your side of this is important. Don’t you want your point of view represented in this account?”
Act surprised he doesn’t want to talk. Let your tone of voice tell him this is very strange behavior. “Are you really sure you want this story to run without putting in your two cents?”
When seeking a final interview with the subject of an unflattering story, make it clear that their non-participation or a “no comment” will not stop you from doing the story. Always proceed with the assumption that the story is going to run.
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