Working on a feature and need advice

My editor assigned me to a feature story over a basketball team that was holding a 50 year reunion at an annual holiday basketball tournament near my shop. The team won the tournament in 1958 and all of its 10 members are still alive today. I began combing through my shop's microfilm and found some old clippings written about them from that tournament. My question is that I found a lead that I just really love and am considering including at the end of the story. I would give attribution of course and tell when it was written. Just wondered what the thoughts were on doing that or if it is even acceptable to do such a thing. Just looking for a little friendly advice. Thanks.

 

As long as you cite it, you should be good.

And good on you for doing the background research. Can't ever do too much of that.

 

Agree with buck-dub. As long as you cite it, you should be ok.

 

any chance that writer is alive? he'd be old, but that could be a cool interview, too, if you tracked him down.

 

if you have a good enough microfilm machine, maybe you could make a printout and scan it and run an actual image of the original story?

 

Agreed, let your artist/layout guy have fun with the clippings. Ghost them in the background of your feature. Otherwise, interviewing the writer, especially if he was prominent in the community and people would recognize the name, would be an awesome touch. Good luck.

 

Little,

So how big of a story is this? If you are covering some ground, might also be cool to do a short bio on each of the 10 team members. What they do/did for a living, where they live, what college (if any) they attended.

 

I appreciate the comments from everyone. I hadn't thought about talking to the original writer, but I think I may give it try today. He was the sports editor at this shop at the time he covered the tournament, but I believe in those it was just a one or two man operation (We are a 5-man now). I know my editor talked to him earlier this summer for a piece he did so I am guessing he would be willing.

I really like the idea about the ghosting, I just hope the microfilm machine will cooperate. The pages had a team photo of the group after they won, I think it would be really cool.

As far as the bios I'm not sure we have enough room. The feature is running on Jan 2., so we can have something local. I just took the idea and ran with it because once I started searching I got really interested in the piece. I wish I could do bios, I think our readers would enjoy that. I may try to pitch the idea later today and so where it goes.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the advice.

 

When talking to the former players, ask about any momentos they still have. I had a 50th anniversary story a few years ago and one of the starters still had his scrapbook. It helped with anecdotes and with art.

We ended up using a group shot from 50 years ago as secondary art. As primary art, we used a current photo with the guys lined up in the same spots. It's still one of the most enjoyable stories I've done.

 

Excellent ideas all. Good luck.

 

Love the ideas here - great stuff!!

 

Good luck, dude. It sounds like you're well on your way.