What's next for my beat?

The many tools that a journalist uses (Source:Shutterstock)

For the past two weeks, I’ve been brainstorming ideas for the next three stories that I’m going to be doing for Ithaca Week. Doing a lifestyle beat this semester has been amazing because it gives me the freedom to choose a variety of stories that are centered around life and people in Ithaca. So far, I've enjoyed the news gathering process and creating stories.

My first story was about how the Danby Fire Company was raising money for new equipment, specifically the Jaws of Life. It was a fantastic experience and I appreciated getting to learn more about the company and how it has impacted the town of Danby. I was a little worried coming into the story because I never did a story that involved the local Fire Department before, but I’m glad that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone because it turned out to be a very interesting story. Additionally, the fire company appreciated the coverage, which was great to see because of the community-building aspect of it.

Tweet from the Danby Volunteer Fire Company (Source: Twitter)

Looking ahead, I want to continue to do work that involves highlighting some of the great aspects of the city of Ithaca and the people that inhabit it. While I don’t want to give anything away too soon, I will say that I hope to dig deep into Ithaca’s history both the past and present. With this in mind, I’m still open to ideas from you all because I want to continue my work beyond this class. After all, there are a lot of people in Ithaca that need their stories to be told and I want to be that person. I'm really excited for the rest for everything coming and I hope you continue to stay on this journey with me.