adventures in reporting

Yesterday I was writing a story on the Central American Free Trade Agreement for the three Alabama newspapers I write for.

The challenge was to make a convoluted and excrutiatingly boring issue interesting to my readers, many of whom live in small, rural towns. And I would say that when reporters are writing national stories for a local audience, all we want is a good anecdote to lead with. Why should people in West Alabama care about CAFTA.

Enter Betty Sparks. One local judge gave me her name and number (after my colorful, ultra-quoteworthy conversation with him) saying she worked in a local cotton mill most of her life but was laid off two years ago thanks to NAFTA (and CAFTA would have the same affect, he said... Stay with me here).

Here's how the call went:

Me: Hi Ms. Sparks? This is Sara, I am with the Tuscaloosa News.

Betty: Oh now I don't need to by the paper, hon, I don't even have a job!

Me: Oh no ma'am I am not calling to sell you the paper. I am a reporter and I want to talk to you about the old cotton mill.

After about three minutes of me trying to explain why I was calling (without getting mired in words like CAFTA and trade agreement and global competition) and dropping the judge's name, she finally decided to talk with me. I think it was that I talked to the judge, because when she realized that she eased up and chatted. I got my lede for the story and a great quote about how her town now is a "tumbleweed town."

Writing for Alabama papers, I have some of the most interesting sources. They say colorful things and they are so kind (or at least they sound nice with the thick Southern drawl). One woman's name was Twinkle - and she was the state GOP chair! No kidding.