DigitalJournal.com Tip #5: Using the Assignment Desk to Your Advantage
In newsrooms across the world, the assignment editor will suggest stories to reporters for the upcoming day. DigitalJournal.com gives its journalists a similar "suggestion box", one that we call Assignment Desk.
It can be found in the edit screen once you click POST NEWS or edit/update your story. It's surrounded by a light yellow box.
From DigitalJournal.com
The Assignment Desk service suggests stories for Digital Journalists to cover
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This Assignment Desk gives Digital Journalists leads on several breaking and interesting stories. Topics range from White House alerts to science stories to offbeat news. The Desk is updated twice-daily.
When a Digital Journalist writes an Assignment Desk story, it is often promoted to the Featured Articles section, found on the right-hand side of the front page. That way, the story receives more exposure, and as you know more exposure means more views and possibly more up-votes.
So before you begin your writing day, check out the Assignment Desk to see what needs to be covered. It's also a great way to beat writer's block.
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I love the assignment desk and often refer to it. I don't always write up an article but when I see something that interests me I am all over it! Great tip Dave.
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the assignment desk is cool.
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Hopefully such a device is used only by those unable to come up with their own story ideas. The problem with mainstream media is that editors instruct writers what they are to write about. I prefer stores that don't come from the mind of an "editor."
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I don't personally find "Assignment" very relevant or updated often enough.
The image says it all. Eight out of ten US based requests. Fair enough, because the US is where DJ works most.
But how about writing to specific writers to ask them to cover particular stories that concern their areas and countries and not just the USA or Canada?
You never know. You may just get answers.
:)
The idea is great though........
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Michael,
We often do that, ask writers to cover particular stories, but we don't do it too too often since we editors are very busy during the day. We often hope writers take it upon themselves to find stories in their communities, and many do so. But if you are interested, Michael, we'll send you some more idea suggestions...
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@ ■ David Silverberg
Michael,
We often do that, ask writers to cover particular stories, but we don't do it too too often since we editors are very busy during the day. We often hope writers take it upon themselves to find stories in their communities, and many do so. But if you are interested, Michael, we'll send you some more idea suggestions...
Oh David, please don't hesitate as far as I'm concerned, even though I know you guys have more than enough to do as it is..
You know of course that I read the news here in France for example, and that I often write articles on it, but I don't necessarily know which particular French news is making waves over there. It's a bit like writing "blind."
I'm not at all short of ideas, but specific demands are always welcome. Not only from the site, but from other writers too. I've already done that more than once...Great fun!
:)
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@ ■ Michael Cosgrove
Oh David, please don't hesitate as far as I'm concerned, even though I know you guys have more than enough to do as it is..
You know of course that I read the news here in France for example, and that I often write articles on it, but I don't necessarily know which particular French news is making waves over there. It's a bit like writing "blind."
I'm not at all short of ideas, but specific demands are always welcome. Not only from the site, but from other writers too. I've already done that more than once...Great fun!
:)
It doesn't matter what stories are 'making waves' here. Engineer the ocean.
If a story looks like it has appeal, go for it. There's no outguessing what will have mass appeal. The tiniest story can take off like a bat out of hell, and something you or I might find Earth-shatteringly important doesn't survive for a day. At best, it's a crap shoot.
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@ ■ Sandy Sand
It doesn't matter what stories are 'making waves' here. Engineer the ocean.
If a story looks like it has appeal, go for it. There's no outguessing what will have mass appeal. The tiniest story can take off like a bat out of hell, and something you or I might find Earth-shatteringly important doesn't survive for a day. At best, it's a crap shoot.
Know what? You're quite right there Sandy.
:)
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I found the assignment desk an interesting challenge as it often proposes stories outside my comfort zone. For me DJ is an experiment in writing. I'm much more used to academic writing or reviews of the arts. The assignment desk is a great way to get dip a toe into the ocean of current events.
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@ ■ Maaja Wentz
I found the assignment desk an interesting challenge as it often proposes stories outside my comfort zone. For me DJ is an experiment in writing. I'm much more used to academic writing or reviews of the arts. The assignment desk is a great way to get dip a toe into the ocean of current events.
Maaja, I couldn't identify more with your post.
I just posted my first item for DJ, and took the idea for my story directly from the assignment desk. I gave the piece my own headline, though, and I noticed the suggestion remained on the desk afterward. Should I not have done this?
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Am I too self-absorbed? Am I too interested only in getting out my article? As I welcome comment on my own contributions, do I offer comment on other submissions? When going to your name, the "events" tells quite a story.
One can become too obsequious toward editors and their "suggestions". Submit what you think is of interest and value. You may get as many ideas from the blogs, where many excellent items sit ignored, as from the desk.
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@ ■ David Antrobus
Maaja, I couldn't identify more with your post.
I just posted my first item for DJ, and took the idea for my story directly from the assignment desk. I gave the piece my own headline, though, and I noticed the suggestion remained on the desk afterward. Should I not have done this?
Hey David, so to answer your question, we editors change the Assignment Desk suggestions manually so your story's inspiration might not disappear from the Desk immediately. But it'll usually happen within 12 hours, and we encourage you to look at the list of other suggest stories and see what interests you.
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@ ■ skeptikool
Am I too self-absorbed? Am I too interested only in getting out my article? As I welcome comment on my own contributions, do I offer comment on other submissions? When going to your name, the "events" tells quite a story.
One can become too obsequious toward editors and their "suggestions". Submit what you think is of interest and value. You may get as many ideas from the blogs, where many excellent items sit ignored, as from the desk.
When I wrote: When going to your name..... I was not addressing anyone on this thread specifically.
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We made a major change to Assignment Desk, so thought I'd inform you of how we tweaked the Desk, to turn it into a Twitter feed. Chris explains it best here. Let us know what you think.
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