Listening for the story

For a reporter, having an open mind is worth more than its weight in gold.

The Peninsula Daily News is the third newsroom I've worked in. Across the board, I've seen reporters and editors approach a story with the end result already written in their heads. Whether it's a story about a fatal car accident, a new law or a man with an eccentric personality, prewriting the story in your head hinders your ability to get the facts. Not only does it limit the types of questions asked and areas of research, but it also makes you appear singleminded to sources. I've seen this happen over and over in the newsrooms I've worked in -- from a political weekly to a major daily. I've seen how it makes sources tightlipped and distrustful of the newspaper. I've seen how singlemindedness from editors frustrates reporters.

I've also experienced firsthand how having an open mind can repair damage to a source's trust of a newspaper, and how it gets you access to things no one else has. I go into every story with an open mind. I have a few questions that I need to ask, but most of the time I'm listening. I never thought what I was doing was different from the norm, but almost every source I've interviewed has commented on my approach. It’s helped me develop a trust with the sources I talk to regularly. They know that I'm listening. When I ask a tough question, it's not that I want to trap them but because I'm curious.

-- Vanessa Renee Casavant, West End and education reporter, Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, Wash.