By Tom Hill, Course Director and Founder, Up To Speed Journalism Training.

In this series of articles I’m looking at some of the key skills every reporter needs to develop. In any stationery department you will see reporter’s notebooks on sale and despite all the technological innovations we’ve witnessed over the years, those ringbound pads are still among the most important tools of the job.

Tip #19 Make Notes

Hot gossip, hearsay and rumour may all be intriguing, but if you want to write stories that people will believe, you need to make accurate notes of the conversations you have with your sources.

As soon as you put pen to paper, or type words onto a screen, your story becomes more potent, powerful and potentially dangerous than any whispered snippet of information picked up on the grapevine.

The written word can be dangerous for the subject of the story and also for the writer. Publish and you may be damned, but also sued.

A carefully written, contemporaneous note allows you to demonstrate that you have an accurate version of what has been said and it might be produced as evidence for your defence in a court of law.

As a reporter, your job is to find out what is going on by talking to people. You write down what they have to say, not for your own benefit, but so that you can report their words to other people, your readers.

A reporter's best friends.

It may not feel easy or natural at first, but as you become more experienced, producing a notebook and pen, part way through a conversation, will become second nature. So too, will the ability to engage people in a meaningful discussion while making a note of what they are saying.

Sometimes you’ll feel it necessary, or appropriate, to ask your interviewee’s permission to reach for your pen and pad. At some point in the conversation you’ll say, “Really? That’s fascinating. Do you mind if I make a note of what you’re saying?”

It is often a good idea to explain why you are making notes and to reassure the interviewee that you want to make sure you get it right.

When you are new to reporting, it is also a good idea to buy for time when you are making those notes. Don’t be afraid to go back over what you have written, again impressing your source with your determination to write an accurate story.

Seeing your notebook, and your notes in shorthand, will often inspire confidence in an interviewee, who may well appreciate that as a reporter you have the power to sway opinion and get things done.

So, if you want to start behaving like a professional reporter, start carrying a notebook wherever you go.

NB(nota bene…that’s Latin for note well)

In the old days of Fleet Street, photographers sometimes dismissed reporters as “blunts”, short for blunt nibs.

And that’s a clue for another piece of advice. Never go anywhere without a pen, and one that works.

By Tom Hill, Course Director and Founder, Up To Speed Journalism

It is easy for journalists to forget the people who have given them great quotes once the story has been published. However, a good reporter spends time nurturing his contacts and will often see his loyalty rewarded.

Tip #17 Be Loyal To Your Contacts

One of the golden rules of investigative reporting is that a journalist should always protect her sources.

Journalists have gone to prison rather than reveal the identity of a contact who may have given them information that people in authority may have wished to have hushed up.

In 2005 Judith Miller of the New York Times was jailed for 85 days for refusing to reveal the sources for a report that Valerie Plame was a CIA agent, and a year later blogger Joshua Wolf served 226 days for refusing to hand over

a video of a demonstration.

In this country, Dr David Kelly was revealed as the source of reports about the Iraq war on the BBC despite the best efforts of reporters Andrew Gilligan and Susan Watts. Controversy still surrounds the way he was dealt with by journalists, and by the Government, before his death.

The National Union of Journalists and the Press Complaints Commission Code of Practice both defend the reporter’s right to protect his sources even though the law is more ambiguous.

However, loyalty to your contacts is a sound principle for all journalists. The professional relationship between you and the people who provide you with quotes and information for your stories is a very special one.

A Special Relationship

It is important that  your contact has a clear idea of what you intend to publish about him on any given story. It is also important that he understands that you will be more loyal to your Editor than you are to him, and that there are times when you may have to publish articles he does not like.

Divided Loyalties

It is a common scene in newsrooms to see a rather crest-fallen special correspondent dreading the story that is about to appear on the front page, knowing that it means she will have to work hard to rebuild bridges.

There are also times when that same correspondent will receive a pat on the back, because one of her contacts has exclusively revealed the details of a great news story.

Five Tips For Nurturing Your Contacts

Remember To Say Thank You

At that point a good reporter will always remember, amidst the glory, to take time to call the person who has given them a scoop to say thanks.

Don’t Just Call Them When You Need Them

A good reporter will recognise the value of people who are useful contacts and will spend time developing a rapport with them. If you only call someone up when you want a quote from her, she will see you as just another journalist. However, if you remember to call her occasionally to let her know about stories which may be of interest, or to offer congratulations on a promotion, then your contact will see you in a different light.

Make A Point Of Meeting Them In Person

If you make a point of meeting your best contacts face to face, then he or she will have a chance of remembering your face, as well as your name.

Always Look Pleased To See Them

If you bump into him out of context, perhaps while you are at the supermarket, make a point of remembering his name and say “hello” politely with a smile on your face.

Help Them If You Can

Sometimes, a contact will be really keen to see something published that you, or your editor, may not regard as a particularly brilliant story. If you value that contact and you are satisfied you are not simply giving him a free commercial plug, then do your best to help him out.

Devotion to your contacts is something that takes time, effort and thought. However, when she calls you up with a story that will be a sensational front-page splash, you will realise that it was time, energy and thought well spent.