Proposal & Research
Imagine you are pitching an investigative feature to the Walrus Magazine.
First, take a closer look at their examples to familiarize yourself with what an investigative feature is, the range of topics covered, and extent of research required:
2021 deep dives
You may choose a topic of current public/media interest, historical interest, or something with a human-interest angle. For inspiration, you may also review the work of Columbia School of Journalism students.
Prepare a one-to-two-page (600-800 words) proposal with bolded headers (note: this is NOT an essay, and you must follow the structure outlined below) which includes:
TOPIC
Briefly describe the topic you have chosen for your feature, and explain why you have chosen this topic, and how it would be relevant to the Walrus audience.
What is the anticipated title of your feature?
Who will you be pitching the article to? Provide name, title, and contact information.
RESEARCH PLAN
List in bullets the primary and secondary research sources you will be using (Note: You don’t have to have found every source, but you must identify the organizations or types of organizations where you will go to find those sources. But if you know the sources already, include them.)
For each source, briefly describe the specific types of information you will be seeking from those sources and why they are relevant
PRELIMINARY RESEARCH
Conduct preliminary research using 2-3 sources mentioned above (sources you can more easily access), and share a summary of your findings, and why it is relevant to the article.
INTERVIEWEES x3
Provide the name, title, and organization of three persons you are planning to interview; any relevant links such as their website, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.
Explain why each one of these individuals is important/relevant to the investigation
Use your research skills to find them!
INTERVIEW
List in bullets five questions you plan to ask one of the above subjects (write the questions as if you were asking them directly)
Remember they can only answer about things within their jobs/lives/jurisdiction, and you can’t ask them to answer for other people or organizations. Use your interview to ask about their experiences, observations, anecdotes, and opinions, and not to ask about facts or information you can gather through your own research.
Format
Two pages; 600-800 words; clear and concise writing free of spelling mistakes
