Successful transport decision-making - Osmose

Vol 2 - Table of Contents Next Practical Information
Who participates and how?
Writing a feature article
Project team member
A newspaper editor may invite an
external contributor to prepare a
feature article. This can be
advantageous, as the article can be
written by a member of the project team
with a good understanding of the
project. However, it is important to
agree the scope and length of the
article and any deadlines with the editor
of the publication in advance. When
preparing material for a newspaper
feature article, remember that the
writing style differs from that for
marketing material; editors will be
reluctant to allocate space to articles
that represent a one-sided promotion of
the project. There will also be a ‘house
style’ for the newspaper governing the
preferred layout of the material. Be
prepared for your article to be edited to
conform to this.
Assessing your feature article
Have you researched your publication?
Does it use articles from outside experts?
Is it in your area of expertise? How long
are the articles? Who should write your
article - yourself, someone else in the
organisation, a freelance journalist?
Freelance journalist
Preparing an article requires a significant
time commitment and the skills required
can differ from those needed by transport
professionals. If project members lack
the time or the experience to prepare the
article, consider employing a freelance
journalist. This may reassure the editor
that the article will not be used as away of
advertising the project. Some tasks, such
as identifying appropriate individuals for
interviews and how they can be
contacted can be completed more
efficiently by someone very familiar with
the project than by an outsider, so good
cooperation between project team
members and the journalist is essential to
produce a high quality feature article. You
will also need to allow time to approve the
article and make any necessary
amendments before it is submitted for
publication. It is particularly important that
any factual errors are corrected at this
time.
Newspaper journalist
A newspaper editor may prefer to use
a journalist from their staff to prepare
a feature article on the project. In this
case you will have less control over
the article and there is a risk that the
project may be presented negatively.
It is important to cooperate with the
journalist and to allow them access to
the appropriate information and
individuals. Once a good relationship
with the journalist has been
established, you may be able to
advise on the accuracy of information
in the article.
BEFORE DURING AFTER
Have you got commission from a
publication? Do you understand their house
style? Have you decided on the main issues
to be covered? Have you written notes?
Have you decided on a structure? Have you
found pictures? Can you meet the deadline?
Have you made sure the article is accurate,
lively and informative?
Will project partners or other journalists be
interested in the article? How can you build
on your relationship with journalists or the
editor of the publication in question? Have
you made sure that you have responded to
feedback from the article, e.g replying to
letters the article has generated?
In addition to the writer of the article, there are a
number of other actors involved in the preparation
and publicity. A good feature article will include quotes
from key project partners, so time must be allowed for
interviews to take place. In order to discuss issues
effectively and to present a more objective view, it is
beneficial to undertake interviews with
representatives of key stakeholder groups.
How much does it cost?
The primary cost is staff time. If the article is prepared
by a journalist employed by the newspaper, staff time
will be required for briefing the journalist on the
project, for interviews and for responding to any
letters or calls received in response to the article.
What skills are required?
The writer of the article must be able to collate
information from a range of sources and present it in
a clear and interesting way. The article will need to
meet strict limits on length and style in order to
conform with the style of the publication so an
awareness of these issues are important.
What are the drawbacks?
The content of the article will be at the discretion of
the editor, so there is the possibility that coverage of
the project may be negative.
It is important to check factual content very carefully
to avoid misleading readers. This is particularly
important where decisions on the project have yet to
be made.
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