When pitching a story, it may be helpful to learn what's already been written about a topic. You can read articles, watch news and even just listen to what friends and loved ones are concerned about to help hone an idea that's as unique as you. 

As you're crafting your pitch, consider what new information you would like to learn while reporting the story. Then, begin to assemble pieces of informtation to craft a compelling story. For a complete pitch, you should already have some idea about how you want to approach the story (this will make your action plan easier). As you're reading and watching news, consider how they used elements in their stories. Some elements include:

• Interviews with experts and people knowledgeable about your topic. Sometimes these people are experts and sometimes they are a person who witnessed the main event of your story. 
• Data about your issue. In news articles, you'll notice that statistics can paint a story that contextualizes the problem for the reader.
• Historic information like a news story that covers the same topic in a different time period, which can point out a pattern to the reader and give them a new perspective. 

It can be helpful to watch local news to understand how they tell stories. You can stream local news broadcast at the links below.

After you learn what story you're trying to tell, it may be helpful to find companies and organizations that do work relevant to your story. These databases can help point you in the direction of people to interview and market trends to follow. When reporting about the cost of university, it's important to understand which companies are involved with the issue from student loan servicers, nonprofits that offer scholarships to textbook companies hoping to bring more affordable materials to students. 

You may also have luck using LinkedIn to find potential sources to interview. 

For this assignment, you will need to access several issues of a magazine of your choice. Most of the popular print magazines, like People, The New Yorker, and Sports Illustrated, will be available at MD Anderson Library. You can find recent physical copies of select magazines in the Leisure Reading Room area of the first floor of MD Anderson Library.

You can also search for magazines using the Journal Titles search. This will allow you to search for magazines that we have in physical and electronic format. If you're looking for physical copies, make sure to note the Call Number so that you can more easily locate the item. Ask for help at the information desk on the first floor if you get lost.