news coverage, typically in reference to a single issue, resulting in feelings of exhaustion or depression. A 2018 study found that almost 70% of Americans felt news fatigue, largely stemming from the amount of coverage devoted to the 2016 presidential election.16 One solution is for media to focus more on constructive journalism—reporting that does not focus solely on negativity and problems but rather helps readers understand issues more fully and look toward solutions. These types of investigative features shy away from telling readers what to think. Instead, journalists recognize the impact of their reporting on society and use their work to provide insight on what is going on in the community and empower citizens to recognize their roles in their communities and spur change.17 The United Kingdom–based Positive News Magazine capitalizes on readers’ hunger for constructive journalism. The publication delivers short feature stories that demonstrate how people are addressing problems rather than dwelling on the problems themselves. In this article excerpt, reporter Gavin Haines briefly addresses a conflict, then immediately shifts to profiling a promising program and individuals who are working toward a solution:
The debate has raged in recent months: is the climate crisis being given due prominence on school curriculums?
Four young students at Cheney school in Oxford think not, and so in March launched a petition calling for more lessons on the subject. The petition has since been signed by almost 82,000 people.
Though climate change is taught in science and geography lessons, critics say that isn’t enough. But rather than waiting for the UK government to integrate the subject into the curriculum further, teachers are taking matters into their own hands by enrolling on the United Nations’ Climate Change Teacher Academy.18
We will learn about solutions-based stories like these in greater depth in Chapter 8.
Takeaways
After reading this chapter, you should understand that:
1 News is valuable. Journalists use news values to assess whether an event should become a story. These values can help reporters identify what news events impact a community and in what ways, which can help them better relate their stories to readers.
2 Stories are everywhere. Coming up with story ideas can be challenging, but using your knowledge of news values and basic human needs can help you brainstorm ideas that are either time specific or timeless.
3 Feature stories help people relate. People love feature stories because they are often descriptive and engaging. Using different storytelling techniques can help you convey news in ways that are interesting and impactful for your audience.
4 The possibilities are endless. We have just scratched the surface on feature story types. In the Digital Age, new storytelling strategies are needed, which we will explore in greater depth throughout this book.
Notes
1 Betsy Klein. (2017, October 21). “Trump Family Breaks With Presidential Pet Tradition.” CNN. Accessed at: https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/21/politics/donald-trump-presidential-pet/index.html.
2 Kenyon Wallace. (2017, November 24). “How The Star Puts a Human Face on Social Justice Issues.” The (Toronto) Star. Accessed at: https://www.thestar.com/trust/2017/11/24/how-the-star-puts-a-human-face-on-social-justice-issues.html.
3 Laurie Monsebraaten. (2016, November 19). “Brampton Mother Seeks Child Support for Disabled Adult Son.” Brampton Guardian. Accessed at: https://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/6975519-brampton-mother-seeks-child-support-for-disabled-adult-son/.
4 Abraham Maslow. (1943). “A Theory of Human Motivation.” Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.
5 Joseph Serna. (2018, August 30). “His Family Died in the Carr Fire. He Pretends They’re Just on Vacation. ‘It’s the Only Way I Can Stay Alive.’” Los Angeles Times. Accessed at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bledsoe-carr-fire-20180830-story.html.
6 Théoden Janes. (2018, June 28). “She Tried to Keep Her 99-Year-Old Father From Skydiving. He Jumped Anyway—Happily.” The Charlotte Observer. Accessed at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/health-family/article214038119.html.
7 Mariah Blake. (2010, July/August). “Dirty Medicine.” Washington Monthly. Accessed at: https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/julyaugust-2010/dirty-medicine-2/.
8 Jane Stancill and Andrew Carter. (2018, August 25). “The Unfinished Story of Silent Sam, From ‘Soldier Boy’ to Fallen Symbol of a Painful Past. The News & Observer. Accessed at: https://www.newsobserver.com/latest-news/article217247295.html.
9 Betsy Bitner. (2018, July 14). “Savings May Not Be in the (Outdated) Cards.” Times Union. Accessed at: https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Betsy-Bitner-Savings-may-not-be-in-the-13075345.php.
10 Vicki Krueger. (2017, February 20). “6 Alternative Story Forms That Can Stand Alone.” Poynter. Accessed at: https://www.poynter.org/educators-students/2017/6-alternative-story-forms-that-can-stand-alone/.
11 Al Shaw and Kiera Peldman. (2018, January 4). “One Night on a Private Garbage Truck in New York City.” ProPublica. Accessed at: https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/nyc-garbage.
12 David Arkin. (2010, December). “Break Out a Quick Story Form.” Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation. Accessed at: http://www.okpress.com/Websites/okpress/files/Content/1519837/PRESS%20ON%20-%20Breakout%20boxes.pdf.
13 Shawn Garrett. (2014, September 15). “Graphic: How Lottery Sales Stack Up Across Lynchburg Region.” The News & Advance. Accessed at: https://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/graphic-how-lottery-sales-stack-up-across-lynchburg-region/pdf_fc9204a8-3d37-11e4-b949-001a4bcf6878.html.
14 The New York Times Customer Insight Group. (2018). “The Psychology of Sharing: Why Do People Share Online?” Accessed at: https://foundationinc.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/nyt-final.pdf.
15 PolitiFact. (2018, November 18). “Our Latest Fact-Checks.” Accessed at: https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/.
16 Jeffrey Gottfied and Michael Barthel. (2018, June 5). “Almost Seven-in-Ten Americans Have News Fatigue, More Among Republicans.” Pew Research Center. Accessed at: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/06/05/almost-seven-in-ten-americans-have-news-fatigue-more-among-republicans/.
17 Constructive Journalism Project. (n.d.). “What Is Constructive Journalism?” Accessed at: https://www.constructivejournalism.org/about/.
18 Gavin Haines. (2019, July 17). “Meet the UK’s First Climate Change Teachers.” Positive News Magazine. Accessed at: https://www.positive.news/environment/meet-the-uks-first-climate-change-teachers/.
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