Avoiding rabbit trails with a ticking clock

 

On Monday, I had an interview with district court Judge James Hill.  He welcomed me into his office with a handshake in a smile. Papers were spread out in disarray on the desk and in the corner sat a can of Diet Dr. Pepper.

Yes, he offered me one as well. I did not accept the offer, but did feel refreshed when I left the interview. There are some people in life that leave you smiling when you walk away.

He gave me names and information I did not know I wanted. This is not always a good sign as a reporter, but I never felt silly or completely uninformed.

He answered all my questions and them some. It was the dream interview for a reporter. He welcomed a call back and wanted to see the story when I finished.

             I enjoyed his openness and look forward to the new trails to be explored, but one thing makes me nervous. Professor Thornburg mentioned it the last time we spoke as well. I need to be wary of rabbit trails and stick to the main story.

            I am recognizing that this is much easier said than done. With a broad issue, like Truancy, there are so many tempting and interesting roads to travel. At this point, many people have been open to interviews and sharing information. I've hit a few bumps, but nothing hindering the story from reaching its full potential.

            This story has some time. Not much, but it isn't due tomorrow and I find myself thankful for the next day and week to work on it. How do reporters with short deadlines do stories like this? For me it would be impossible and that is the problem with most stories is that there isn't much time to give and really feed the story.