One of the questions most frequently asked by OGJ's readers of the magazine's news editors is, "Where do your story ideas come from?" (Actually, friends and family who are not involved in the oil and natural gas industry have queried this OGJ staffer about this as well, which is all the more reason to explore its answer here.)
To help shed some light on this question, it might be beneficial to dissect the makings of a good OGJ news story, "from soup to nuts," as they say. In this way, the end will justify the means and, it is hoped, some coherent answer might be reached along the way.
Content management
Ideas for news stories can come from everywhere, just as they would for any novelist or nonfiction writer. The age-old saying, "You never know where the good ideas are going to come from," rings true even when writing for an industry trade publication. This is why OGJ news staffers keep abreast of as much about the industry as they can.
First and foremost, reading just about anything you can get your hands on is an invaluable way to stay informed and to keep story ideas constantly germinating. Newspapers, internet news sources, and other industry publications comprise only a partial list of published sources from where good ideas can originate.
When reading, a good writer will ask himself, "What information is missing here that can be further explored?" or, "What new angle can be presented using this information?" or, "How can these two or three shorter stories be linked together to better represent an all-encompassing, better overall view of the industry?"
Also necessary is a method to keep this information organized in some form. Of course, this organizational need pertains more to those longer-term feature articles that a writer may be researching for an upcoming issue of OGJ than for shorter-term news stories filed daily for readers of OGJ Online.
This writer, when faced with a long-term news assignment, keeps paper folders filled with press releases, newspaper clippings, and printed e-mails that later will be read, digested, and comprehended in the process of laboriously structuring a cohesive, informative story. (A dash each of hope and luck never hurts in this process as well).
Live sources
Second only to what can be gleaned through reading are "live" industry sources who also can be interviewed for interesting story ideas. Many of the best story ideas, for example, emerge from a tête-à-tête with an oil industry executive during or following an event, such as an industry conference.
The exclusivity of such a meeting—as well as its often candid nature—usually offers lively content for a sound, solid, and interesting news story.
Stories such as these are challenging to write and often take more time to complete, but the end result, in this writer's opinion, is always well worth it.
Another live source of information—and one too often, and regrettably, misprized by this writer—is one's own colleagues. An impromptu (and extremely unscientific) internal poll conducted by this writer last week revealed that OGJ editors harbor a total of more than 442 years of industry experience. You read correctly: nearly 41/2 centuries of experience of either working within the industry itself or writing about it. What better place could there be to seek clarification and amplification on an industry topic?
Now for the tricky part
With interviews completed, research conducted, notes taken, and colleagues consulted, OGJ news editors then face the daunting task of writing. Most journalists, regardless of variety, will, when pressed, disclose a deep-seated love-hate relationship with the writing process. The written word can somehow be a writer's best friend and worst enemy simultaneously.
Add into this mix an ever-looming deadline, an anxious editor, and the realization that one's words will be read by tens of thousands, and you have yourself the makings of a good-sized stomach ulcer.
But, somehow, OGJ news writers make it through, seemingly unscathed, each and every time. The end of the story is reached, kudos (when deserved) given, and—we hope—OGJ's mission statement upheld:
"The Oil and Gas Journal...[will try] to represent fairly and consistently each and every interest involved in the oil and gas industry...by the presentation of all the material facts of development and intelligent progress of a great and international business."—OGJ, June 16, 1910.
