Yesterday Jim talked about two really important story questions: “Is it interesting?” and “Is it important?” If you don’t have those two going for you, find a different angle. Or story. But where to find good examples?

The ocean of online uselessness in which the interesting and important stories float conspires to overwhelm the search for them. It’s like a rescue team looking for a life raft on the Pacific.

That’s where great sourcing comes in. If you’re like me, you learn by observing and doing. You look at what the talented writers and reporters out there are doing, and what they’re producing, and emulate them. What angles are the they taking? Who are they talking to? Where and how are they getting their video and their photos? How can I do that?

Here are some great websites to follow, in no particular order. They do a great job of reporting stories, and also explaining them. Some of them also have really cool smartphone apps:

• BBC Online
• ProPublica
• Deutsche Welle (excellent German news site in English)
• The Clarion Project
• Syria Deeply
• Christianity Today
• Al Jazeera America
• New York Times

If there are others that you like to follow, let us know!