Friday, February 15, 2008

Friday's story ideas

Will conservatives in your market unite now that Romney has endorsed McCain?

Food packaging. Shopper survey shows consumers feel there is too much waste when it comes to packages... but they buy those single servings rather than large packages. Will people sacrifice convenience for the environment?

Sick employees who tough it out rather than call in sick often infect others in the office. At what point should you stay home during flu season?

Busy parents... at what point should you teach your kids to cook?

Chocoholic alert day. There are only two of these each year, the other being the day after Easter. Lots of great bargains to be had on those heart shaped boxes. Chocoholics know to stock up until the half price chocolate rabbits appear. (I speak from experience.)

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Thursday's story ideas

Perjury. Yesterday we heard a Congressman say that just because you lie under oath doesn't mean you can be charged with it. What exactly is perjury and how hard is it to prove?

Government checks. Most people don't know those checks the feds will be sending out are just advances on your tax refund for next year. Yep, you're spending your own money.

Green windows. My latest trip to Home Depot told me there are so many kinds of windows I need a consumer report to figure out which ones are the most energy efficient.

Valentines Day chocolates. Dark chocolate is supposed to be "healthier" so show your viewers the different kinds of chocolate and their nutritional value.

Microsoft announces a shortage of X-Boxes. Oh my, will kids have to actually go outside and play?

What's negotiable? Furniture, jewelry, all sort of stuff. As the economy continues to slump, will stores turn into car lots?






Wednesday, February 13, 2008

He said, she said...

Today's baseball hearings were like a gripping novel that you can't put down. I couldn't stop watching. Secret meetings with nannies, wives taking HGH to look good for a photo shoot... wow, this was like a good nighttime soap. Trying to figure out who's lying and who is telling the truth is like, well, trying to figure out who to vote for. (And gee, did you think some of the Congressmen and women had already made up their minds?)

I have an opinion about who's lying in the Clemens-McNamee case. And no, I'm not going to share it here. Because this is about news, not speculation.

The point it, in any "he said, she said" case, it is imperative that we as journalists strive to be especially objective. In choosing sound bites, it is very easy in a case like this to pick sound bites that can make one side or the other look guilty. Even b-roll can be used to make someone look guilty. Be as fair as possible, give equal time, and let the viewers decide.

Wednesday's story ideas

Living near an airport can be hazardous to your health. Apparently the constant noise can raise your blood pressure.

Smoking linked to colon cancer... just in case you needed another reason to quit.

At least 38 states will be introducing legislation to make pharmaceuticals more affordable and accessible. Check it out...

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/drugbill08.htm

Suicides are unfortunately up for members of the National Guard and Reserves. What sort of mental health care do these vets get... and why is it obviously not working?

Baseball's steroid hearings. Check with local high schools and colleges to see what they're doing to keep young athletes away from performance enhancing drugs.

New study shows diet soda can actually make you gain weight since it affects your metabolism.

Terror surveillance bill. What does this mean regarding surveillance of phone calls and emails?

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Tuesday's story ideas

Superdelegates. Explain what they are and talk to the ones in your market about the Democratic convention.

Delta and Northwest could merge in a few weeks. What does this do to your local airport?

Blackberry outage. How dependent are people on wireless emails?

HGH effect on women. With the allegations that Roger Clemens wife may have taken the stuff, what can it do to women?

Postal rates to go up again. Let the run on "forever" stamps begin.

Lie detectors. They're part of a hit game show, but how do they work and how accurate are they?

Valentine's Day gifts for men. Women get flowers, candy, jewelry, pajama grams, teddy bear grams (can you tell I had sports radio on today?) and just about every other gram you can think of. So what's a good gift for a guy and what are the hot sellers, if any?

Monday, February 11, 2008

Monday's story ideas

Who would the Republicans in your market rather run against? Clinton or Obama? Talk to some local strategists to find out what they'd do.

While you're at it, ask the local staunch conservatives what running mate would make them more accepting of McCain.

eBay boycott. The Internet seller plans drastic changes later this month, and people who make a living selling stuff vow a boycott.

FDA warns of botox side effects.

Discretionary spending changes. What's being hurt in your market as consumers cut back? (Restaurants and coffee shops are a good place to start.)

Valentines Day gifts. How are florists and jewelry stores faring in the current economy?