Where can I get breaking news sources to cover online?

There are no lists of sources for news, that's why there are reporters. if there was just a big directory, nobody would need a report on it.

News is what's happening. There is no "rule" concerning reporting what's happening. You can even be biased (Fox News).

You need no tools. All you have to do is go look. You might first decide what you want to report on. Or more appropriately, what your readers want you to report on. News reporters are useless without an audience.

Jeff

Lydian said:

Where do online journalists (people who write stories for websites like Mashable) get their sources?

What kinds of websites do you have to sign up to to get this kind of information? Are there one or two big directories you have to pay for, or do you have to be subscribed to millions of small business press lists, or be an elite member of a news organization, or what?

And then, what are the rules regarding covering a story? Is it generally fair game to just cover a story or do you have to ask permission (a trade conference, for example)?

I guess I'm just wondering what tools I need to get started in the world of online journalism. Thanks so much for any insight you can give.

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I don't think I understand the question. You seem to be talking about several different things - news, press releases, and sources among them.

At first I thought you were asking how to get wire service (pay), but then you got to small business press releases and then Mashable.

I went and looked at Mashable and those appear to be a mix of basic news stories. I further don't quite get what you want - that is information. Some likely originated with wire service runs, that's how news orgs operate. Some probably didn't - I recognize one as reporting on/a retread of another site's original story.

An online journalist in what sense? Do you want to put up your own site? I'd think you'd specialize, not just aggregate aggregators, because well, what's the point of that? Eventually we collapse in on ourselves like a lack hole

The two big wire services used in newsrooms are the Associated Press and Reuters.

gettingby said:

The two big wire services used in newsrooms are the Associated Press and Reuters.

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They also rely on the paid ones - PRN and Businesswire - a lot more than many people (apart from PRN and BW to their clients) would like to admit.

They do the leg work. They call people. They interview people involved. Nobody goes to them, they have to do the investigating themselves.

Fir instance, if there's a big crime, they would call that city's Police Department. Speak to someone in charge of the scene if they're lucky, or the PD's spokesman.

But it helps that they have CREDENTIALS, which prove that they're actually with a news organization, like Mashable, or Huffington Press. Because they generally won't just talk to any Joe Blow who calls them up.

In specialist areas like research science and medicine there are more specific options like newswire

What area do you want to cover? What do you want to write about?

That will help you determine what sources to pursue. In some cases it's as simple as contacting companies and asking to be put on the distribution lists for their press releases. In other cases you really have to dig and develop sources on your own. It depends on what you want to do, your skills, and your ability to develop information.

What is your previous background, if I can ask?

Mashable is mostly rewritten press releases with accompanying photos, and a tiny splash of surfing.

Example:

US Men's National Soccer Team tweets link to press release about new uniforms for World Cup 2014. It has accompanying photo of kit tops that resemble golf shirts. Mashable "reporter" rewrites release (usually cutting 90%), then searches Twitter with hashtags to add some snark.

It's pretty mindless work, IMO. Yahoo "News" works the same way, for the most part. And with newspaper newsroom cutbacks that began in the early '80's, more and more stories in print are retooled press releases.

Lydian said:

Where do online journalists (people who write stories for websites like Mashable) get their sources?

What kinds of websites do you have to sign up to to get this kind of information? Are there one or two big directories you have to pay for, or do you have to be subscribed to millions of small business press lists, or be an elite member of a news organization, or what?

And then, what are the rules regarding covering a story? Is it generally fair game to just cover a story or do you have to ask permission (a trade conference, for example)?

I guess I'm just wondering what tools I need to get started in the world of online journalism. Thanks so much for any insight you can give.

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This is a solid question. I know for a fact that the big tech publications are big and their coverage is "in demand." So, most startup companies actually submit leads or court the journalists in order to get their stories in there.

You wouldn't really be able to pay for that kind of insider access. Hope this helps!