story forms are limited only by journalists’ imaginations. Other common examples include:
Breakout boxes: These are short boxes containing tidbits of information that may be helpful to the reader. Examples include a glossary to help readers understand new terms or jargon related to a topic; follow-up boxes detailing what is known, what is new and what is next; takeaways providing bulleted highlights from a meeting or event; and boxes using numbers to provide information,12 as in this example shown in Figure 2.8.
Figure 2.8 A sample breakout box that could run alongside a traditional news story on the same topic.
Source: http://www.seaturtle.org/
Q & A: Question and Answer features provide a transcript of an interview with a source, showing your questions and your source’s direct answers.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions features list quick answers to popular questions readers might have on a subject. For example, in preparation for a state fair, readers may ask about the cost, dates, what rides are included, what performers are playing and so forth.
Reader polls: These may include a short introductory graf educating readers on an issue before asking them to engage by voting with their opinion and/or leaving comments.
Charts: Charts provide a simple visual reference to help readers process data and numbers quickly. In one example from The News & Advance in Lynchburg, Virginia, reporter Shawn Garrett shows how lottery sales in the area compare with others in the state. The arrangement of the rankings within the map, separated by counties, provides a powerful illustration the audience can quickly understand. Readers can also easily see the dramatic disparity between Lynchburg proper and its surrounding counties.13
Games: Some news organizations urge readers to process information using games, such as news quizzes. StudentNewsDaily.com is a nonprofit current events website for high school students. One of the online publication’s features is a weekly news quiz, testing students on their retention of information from the week’s events.
This chart from The News & Advance in Lynchburg, Virginia, is a visually appealing representation of the distribution of lottery sales in the area compared with others across the state.
The News & Advance, “Playing the Lottery in Central Virginia,” by Shawn Garrett.
We will cover more alternative story forms using mobile apps in Chapter 11.
Anticipating Shareable Stories
Digital Age journalists need to be able to anticipate their audience’s needs. As we discussed earlier, that does not mean pandering by publishing vapid puff pieces and entertainment rumors. But it does mean we have to think like our readers do. When users want information, they often turn to a search engine, typing in a question and clicking on the first of thousands of responses. By anticipating the types of questions readers might have, journalists can add their stories to the Google results list and become a reliable source for readers to click on. Paying attention to trending topics could clue journalists in to what questions people might have on their minds at a particular time. For example, you might notice the hashtag #sharkattack trending during the summer, indicating that people are concerned about a perceived sudden increase in shark attacks on humans. What sorts of things might people search for related to that topic?
Has the number of shark attacks increased this year?
Why has the number of shark attacks increased?
How many shark attacks have there been in the U.S.?
How many people have been killed by sharks?
What can I do to prevent a shark attack?
Gathering information from a reputable source, such as a reported news article, can provide peace of mind for people. And by anticipating readers’ questions, you can help your news organization become a source readers across the country can turn to for information.
Knowing why our readers share content online can also provide valuable insight into the types of stories they want. A marketing team from The New York Times conducted research to determine what motivates people to share news on social media.14 The reasons they uncovered could lead journalists to write stories appealing to those needs.
To bring valuable and entertaining content to others: Stories containing novelty and/or impact appeal to news sharers who want to entertain or educate their friends and followers.
To define ourselves to others: Profiles, how-to articles and other features that give readers the opportunity to relate an issue or another person’s journey to their own will prompt them to share those articles.
To grow and nourish our relationships: Features that provide understanding about how others live can prompt readers to share their findings in hopes of expanding the insight they have gained.
Self-fulfillment: In-depth articles explaining the background or details of an issue or event can help readers reinforce their commitment to or beliefs about a subject, which they will happily share with like-minded followers.
To get the word out about causes or brands: Readers who feel passionate about a subject will seek feature stories truly examining their causes so they can share and feel good about them.
Communicating directly with readers to discover what questions they have and what stories they want reported is also essential in the Digital Age. We will learn more about community engagement journalism in Chapter 7.
Investigations and Fact-Checking
The rise of the internet as a news tool has made it even more crucial for journalists to embrace watchdog journalism—the use of dogged reporting to protect citizens and prevent corruption and misinformation from negatively impacting society. As we discussed in Chapter 1, the internet has become a free and simple way to produce and distribute fake news and false information. Readers expect journalists in the Digital Age to fight back by rooting out the sources of misinformation and deception and providing the truth through investigative reporting.
Journalists produce investigative features to hold those in power accountable. These news features may be as simple as monitoring and publishing restaurant health inspection results in your community so residents know where it may be unsafe to eat. They may also include deeper investigations into ongoing problems, tracking their results and checking in with people who are affected by the issue.
The fact-checking website PolitiFact uses an alternative storytelling form to fulfill its watchdog function. The organization’s “Truth-O-Meter” assesses statements from politicians and leaders, marking them along a spectrum of truth using labels such as “True,” “Half True,” “Mostly False” and “Pants on Fire” (meaning the statement is completely false). Reporters post a statement made by a person or group, rank it along the spectrum and link it to a story explaining why the statement is true or false and how they came to that conclusion.15
Many
