For various articles I’ve had to find all kinds of “real people” or “people on the street” — an African American Chevy Suburban owner, a mom whose child had transient tics, an Asian blended family. Chances are, sometime in your writing career you’ll need an anecdote from a real person (as opposed to an expert) for a query or article. Many writers get stuck because they don’t know how to locate individuals who meet their (often very) specific requirements. Here are my top tips for where — and how — to get the best real people sources.
1. Use ProfNet and Help a Reporter Out (HARO).
These are both source-finding services that are free to journalists. They’re meant to help writers find experts, but the funny thing about experts is that they’re real people, too. And HARO, which is also free for sources to join (ProfNet charges expert sources), attracts thousands of people who would like to be in the media, whether they’re experts or not. Be as detailed as you can in what you’re looking for — I’d say you can’t be too clear. In my experience, potential sources often skim the listing, so the clearer you are, the less likely you are to get lots of off-topic responses.
2. Use social media.
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are godsends for writers looking for real-people sources. They’re full of real people! And if you have a large network – and you encourage that network to pass your request on to their networks through sharing or retweeting – you can probably find any type of person you need. When you post, ask your friends/followers/connections to share your request; I recently read that posts that actually include a share request are forwarded along more than other posts.
3. Post in forums.
Chances are, there’s a forum or discussion group that caters to the exact people you’re looking for. For example, I found moms of kids with Tourette’s and transient tics through a forum for people with movement disorders. Do a Google search for your keywords plus “forum,” and search on Google Groups and Yahoo groups as well for an appropriate forum/list. When you find one, do a little lurking to figure out if this is a good place to post your request. (You’ll probably run into a lot of dead forums.) It’s always a good practice to e-mail the moderator asking if it’s okay to post as a journalist looking for sources; that way, when you post you can mention that you have the permission of the forum administrator. This can help allay any suspicions that forum members may have. Also be sure to use your full name and include a link to your website if you have one, so forum members can see you’re a real person and not some kind of a weirdo. Give a deadline for responses so you don’t have people responding months later.
4. Create an e-mail list.
I know a couple of writers who keep extensive e-mail lists that they blast an e-mail to when they’re looking for real-people sources. Start with your friends, family members, and fellow writers. And use the list sparingly — you don’t want to piss people off with constant e-mails looking for Hispanic candy shop owners on the East Coast! Be sure to ask recipients to pass along your request to anyone they know who may fit the bill.
5. Look for variety.
When you’re on the hunt for real-people sources, look for people who are ethnically and geographically diverse. Editors don’t want to see that all your sources are from the same area of the country or are all white. Mos
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