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Making News Personal
Choosing a
Format for the
Story
Stories about social issues can take
many forms. Some are basic news
stories—a study on cancer rates is
released, a politician takes a stand or
makes a speech for or against
immigration, a conference on povertyfighting
efforts begins. Other pieces
focus on trends, such as a change in
social attitudes toward an issue or
other developments occurring over
time. Profiles of people or institutions
are a common approach, as are
investigative stories.
One of the exciting aspects of
covering social issues is that stories
can be in practically any format. And
as you gather your material, you’ll
need to think about what approach
would work best. Often this will be
self-evident; other times you may
have several choices. The decision
will depend upon the amount of
information you have, how much time
you have to prepare the piece, and
which part of the material you would
like to emphasize.
Here are some suggestions to help
you make that decision:
• News stories are the most
straightforward approach and are
frequently the most appropriate. If
someone were giving a speech
about a social issue, this would
most likely translate into a news
piece. A story about a new study or
report would also be likely to fall into
the news format, but it could also
take an explanatory approach. Even
a news or explanatory piece,
however, should include comment
from other sources—those in the
audience who disagree with the
speechmaker, for example, or
scientists whose research
contradicts what the new study
claims.
• A news feature is generally a story
about a trend or a development
happening over time. The impetus
for the story might be an event—the
same study, for example, that could
serve as the basis for a simple news
story. But a news feature could
develop the information into a larger
theme. If a report suggests that a
particular lake is polluted, for
example, it could be a key element
in a larger story about pollution
throughout the region.
• People love reading about or seeing
other people, so profiles are often
the best way to convey important
information. The key is to pick
someone through whom you can
address a particular issue. This
could be an environmental activist,
for example, or a politician whose
prime interest is fighting
discrimination against a religious
minority. By focusing on an
individual, you can draw the reader
or viewer in while addressing a
larger issue.
• A question-and-answer interview
format can be especially effective
when it allows sources to express
thoughts in their own words. The
way they talk and their choice of
expressions can convey a great
deal to the audience. But this
International Center for Journalists