Explaining

NewswritingFall, 2009John Couper

Reasons to Explain Journalism is about offering audiences

information, concepts, contexts, and conclusions so they can have their own understanding Your job is to select, arrange, and explain

A journalist is an explainer A simple set of facts is rarely enough Be as objective as possible but as proactive

as necessary Few stories have all of these, but consider them

Explanation Continuum “Objective” and “Subjective” poorly

reflect your options Information is “contested”

Instead, think of a range from fully accepted facts to controversial impressions

Fully factual Uncertain/contested

Decide on an impact Start with the final effect

What will the story “do” to audiences? Persuade, inform, etc.

Which kinds of explanations will do this?

Therefore, decide on sets of Facts Conclusions Perspectives

And how to group and organize these

Why bother? Starting with

what you want to do What you need to do it A balance of explanations…

…will improve, simplify, and speed your work E.g., identifying important sources

A minute of thinking can prevent an hour of rewriting

Ways to Explain Decide on a stance Provide facts Lay out processes Describe implications Present perspectives Make connections Display contrasts Express experiences Suggest consequences

Provide facts

What is a fact? Something agreed on as real and

accurate

Decide on Stance(s) A “stance” is a person’s position

within, around and outside of the story’s events

Any story can have several To help the audience reach its own

conclusions But the audience must always know

which is the source of each section Key is the stance of the reporter

Describe implications

Potential significance Impact Interest Causes

Meanings behind the meanings Information left unsaid

“Show” the processes

Historical background Procedures of an operation Leaders’ actions Changes in

Significance

Display perspectives

Range of key players Perceived priorities Evaluations of aspects of the

situation/event/decision Role of individuals, groups and

organizations

Display contrasts

Not just perspectives: they are often larger than the individual

Between potential and actual events Controversies subjectivities Disagreements of

opinion conclusion/explanation action

Make connections

Cause and effect Links between groups Influences and impacts Motivations and involvements

Express experiences

Subjectivities in a situation reasons and motivations Personal understanding of

actions/events Explanation Emotions Impact on their life

Suggest consequences

Steps in a phase Next actions Impacts Decisions that will be made

3. Arranging Explanations Foundation is what audiences

Know Want to know Care about

Consider sets with main, categorical, detail Decide level of detail and technicality Prioritize your options in the story structure

In factual story, can Decide on the best “fact flow”

What the audience needs before the next set