Part IV: How to Ask your Questions

Subject lines are important. They must signal who the sender is and what the subject is. Also important is how you frame your question. It must be compelling, clearly stated, and open-ended.

Sample Subject Lines

News-Press question about Idaho field burning.
Post-Register doing a story on city potholes.
Spokesman-Review question about speed on Valley arterials.
Tribune seeks opinions on military draft.
Bugle seeks reaction to governorâ€™s speech.

Sample Questions

National news enterprise story

As our countryâ€™s military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan stretch our armed forces dangerously thin, resurrecting the draft has become a subject of popular debate both locally and nationally. The draft was abandoned in 1973, but if brought back it could force men ages 18-25 into military service.
What do you think about the potential for a draft? How might it affect you personally? Do you feel women should be included?
We plan to include responses from people, quoted by name, in a story that weâ€™re preparing for this weekend.

Local features enterprise

Our Home and Family reporter is looking for people who own an aluminum Christmas tree to interview for a story she is writing. If you know somebody with an affinity for these kitschy classics, please contact her directly at (insert e-mail and phone).

She is also trying to find a family that has a student driver that is going to receive his/her license this coming January. She is on a tight deadline, so your quick response is appreciated.

Local news enterprise

Guilford County and Greensboro in the next week will consider offering a combined $2.3 million to Citicorp in exchange for the company preserving 700 existing jobs and creating 1,000 new telemarketing jobs by 2007.

Do you think this a worthwhile investment? Why or why not?

We will post your comments online and we may include your comments in a story weâ€™re working on for the newspaper. If so, a reporter will call you to verify that the comments are indeed yours. Please be sure to include your name and limit your comments to 250 words or less.

Local news enterprise

Weâ€™d like to get your thoughts on the Board of Educationâ€™s proposed policy to eliminate Native American mascots from schools. The new policy would do away with the mascots for Southern Guilford High School (Indians) and Andrews High School (Red Raiders.)

Do you agree with this proposed change? Why or why not?

(This is for a story in the newspaper. We will call to verify the identities of anyone who will be quoted by name in the story.)

Sports features enterprise

Are you a superstitious fan? We want to know what rituals you are doing as a fan to help the Red Sox end the curse. Do you wear a certain hat? Or watch the game from a particular spot on the couch? If you do anything out of the ordinary to help ensure a win by the Sox, we want to know. Send your superstitious rituals to (contact info). Include your name and daytime phone number so that we can quote you by name in a story weâ€™re preparing.

Sports commentary

If you were the general manager of the struggling Seattle Mariners, how would you improve the team? Trade pitcher Freddy Garcia for a hard-hitting outfielder? Bench shortstop Rich Aurilia? Fire manager Bob Melvin?

Weâ€™re planning a story for Sunday and would like to include your ideas. Please be specific with your suggestions and include your name and city. We plan to use as many responses as possible.

Breaking news event

Verizon Communications, which asked the state several months ago to approve two different rate increases, detailed today just what those increases would mean for the average telephone customer.

What do you think of these proposed rate increases? If they are approved, would you consider ending your home phone service and using a cell phone as your primary service? What else might you do to cope with the increased costs?

Fun food enterprise

“I have had to endure 20 years of suffering through the annual ordeal of eating my wifeâ€™s famous turnip dish,” one 82-year-old Atlanta man told a Cox News Service reporter. “Her son complimented this dish years ago, and so it became a staple at every Thanksgiving dinner. Finally, last year, they spoke up and said they never did like the stuff. So that ended this yuck dish being served.”

Is there a traditional family dish you dread seeing on the table during holiday meals? Tell us about it.

Local enterprise story

Some residents on South Evergreen are upset with speeding drivers and are requesting increased patrols. They also think the city of Spokane Valley should, as a first order of business, reduce the speed limit on arterials from 35 mph to 30 mph, which is the speed limit in the city of Spokane.

Do people drive too fast on Valley arterials? Is 35 mph too high for a speed limit? Should it be lowered to 30 mph? What about greater patrols?

Statewide election advance

In a few weeks, voters will be asked to approve hikes in the gas tax, car sales tax, and trucking fees in order to help fix Washingtonâ€™s transportation system. Proponents say the billions of dollars raised will ease freeway congestion, speed up freight, and boost road safety.

Weâ€™d like your opinion, possibly for inclusion in an upcoming news story about the proposal.

Specifically:

How bad do the transportation problems seem to you?
Would you be willing to pay more to improve things?

Please include your name, city, and a daytime phone number. Our reporter [name] may call you for clarification.

State/local enterprise story

The Idaho Transportation Department has documented 22 fatalities so far this year on U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho.

The Spokesman-Review would like to hear your views on Highway 95, and what might be causing so many fatalities. Is it the bad road? Bad drivers? Bad weather? Some combination of the above, or something else?

PREV: Part III: Querying Readers with E-mail

NEXT: Part V: Conclusion