Searching for a local angle when national news breaks differentiates your reporting from stories you can get on the wires, and helps you deepen the connection with your community of readers.
But investing the time and resources necessary to comb through every possibility can be out of reach for many newsrooms, especially in breaking news situations when speed is of the essence.
In a post on his blog, Steve Buttry, veteran journalist and director of student media at Louisiana State University, outlines some tried and tested methods of finding the local connection to a national story.
His recommendations, such as speaking to universities, volunteers or immigrant communities in the area, are based on his experience working on local newspapers, and are illustrated with practical examples and case studies.
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