Image via WikipediaHoward Owens has a great list of ways reporters can make themselves more valuable and also “take ownership” of their stories. #

Go. Now. Read it. Take notes. #

Several of these things I’ve talked about often with editors and reporters. And generating your own story ideas was a requirement when I began as a features reporter (I still don’t understand student journalists who’ve never heard of a story budget before). #

I would quibble with one of Howard’s suggestions: #

When the story is published, you socially bookmark the story as appropriate; you send the link to bloggers you know who might be interested; you e-mail the link to sources or readers you know would be interested. #

Be VERY CAREFUL with e-mails to interested bloggers. I’m a blogger, and I’ve e-mailed friends around the blogosphere with links to things I’ve written that I think they would be interested in. But I do so judiciously. #

If you e-mail bloggers too often, you get a reputation like that of a PR hack who sends out irrelevant press releases for every little thing that happens at their company. #

Make sure: #

• your story is relevant;
• you have a relationship with the blogger previously;
• and, that it’s a two-way street (i.e., he/she is not just a place for you to dump your stories, but a source for story ideas as well).

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