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15 Ways To Tell the Backyard Chicken Story

September 25, 2008, Kelli Matthews

Last week at our faculty retreat, Jill Davis, the deputy editor for Portland Monthly magazine talked about an exercise that the publication does with their interns to help them reframe and rethink a story for pitching as a freelance writer.

She said they often get “tips” from Portlanders revealing the shocking phenomenon of people who have chickens in their backyard. In Portland! In the CITY! It’s so often that Jill said they call it the “backyard chicken story.” Interns must think of 15 ways to tell this story.

What if you were pitching …

  • A business editor or publication
  • An entree/food section at a major daily paper or a food-focused outlet
  • The features editor at a major daily paper
  • “Front of Book” sections (typically news briefs or “what’s hot”)
  • The health and wellness section or publication
  • With a home & garden focus (think: Sunset Magazine)
  • A technology publication (this might be a stretch… maybe there’s some fancy social network start-up for urban chickens)

I would love it if my readers would pick one of these and leave a comment with their story idea. Let’s hear it! How would you pitch the backyard chicken? Be creative!

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Kelli Matthews
  • emilytormey

    Great exercise – at the heart of it, it's simply considering what each unique audience cares about and catering to that. I would pitch it for the Health & Wellness publication and go one of two ways: A) Backyard chickens spread the bird flu or some other scary parasite/disease (fear tactics always grab people, right?) or B) Laud the health and environmental benefits of supplying your own organic eggs and urge the city to change regulations (this is more editorial). Even within the health/wellness niche, there's a variety of spins – positive or negative.

  • Kelli Matthews

    I love it! Very clever. :)

  • amyziari

    This is very fun. @ emilytormey I like your ideas.

    Here are a few I came up with:

    Target: A business editor or publication.
    Pitch: Local grocery stores coping with the “Home Grown” movement—How are growing number of backyard chickens and community gardens affecting sales?

    Target: The features editor at a major daily paper.
    Pitch: Pitch story of a young and hip chicken-owning couple who defy the stereotype of typical farmers. Use as segue into conversation about the growth of the backyard chicken movement, including:
    -Statistics on the growth
    -Hottest markets for backyard chickens geographically
    -Examples of city ordinances allowing for backyard chickens.

    Target: Home & garden publication.
    Pitch: How To Build Your Coop From the Ground Up. 5 Easy Steps.