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Reaching Readers Understanding and increasing relevance in newswriting

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Page 1: Reaching readers

Reaching ReadersUnderstanding and increasing

relevance in newswriting

Page 2: Reaching readers

Your responses to news Recall a recent news item…

Which medium was it in? Which topic did it have? Which aspects of the topic did it cover? Which significance did it have to you?

The answers help explain its relevance to you

Page 3: Reaching readers

Why do people want news? a) To keep up with current events To engage and satisfy their curiosity

e.g., culture, distant events, show business, trivia

To learn useful information Things to do, background on a topic, contacts

To project future events “surveillance”: general background and

context

Page 4: Reaching readers

Why do people want news? b) To discuss events with friends To give them a professional edge To relax and pass the time To enjoy lively writing Vicarious experience (travel, “meeting”

people) To learn and compare the views of others

(letters, editorials, etc.)

Page 5: Reaching readers

Journalists choose and angle news Stories are not a simple repetition of facts

Every part of the process is “analytical” Selection, order, prominence, angle, level

The question is not if you angle, but to whom you angle the story and its parts how methodical and aware the process is

Page 6: Reaching readers

Relevance is The amount of meaning or significance

audiences perceive in: The news topic News information

Writing style Practical, social, personal value afterwards

Relevance links new information of unknown value to existing information whose value is accepted

Page 7: Reaching readers

Kinds of relevance Six kinds of relevance for news readers:

Personal: private background, hopes Instrumental: useful, helpful, actionable Social: about friends, relatives, coworkers Institutional: local organizations, government Cognitive: general curiosity about the world Geographical: nearby, known, likely impact

Page 8: Reaching readers

Changes in U.S. news U.S. newspapers increasingly report events

less, and analyze news more. In 1960, 90 percent of front-page election stories

were about events; in 1992, 80 percent of front-page stories included

interpretations, from secondary to significant This change responded to reader surveys

Page 9: Reaching readers

Relevance is complex Combine meanings for complex readership

Suggest links, e.g. in subheads or phrases Writing for the several “readers within” Reader interest plus social significance

Example:

Page 10: Reaching readers

Why increase relevance? Because readers are more likely to…

Start to read the story Read to the end of the story Remember its ideas and information Discuss it with friends and family Use the information in some way

Page 11: Reaching readers

Readers and relevance Readers have very clear, if subjective, ideas

of what they want from news “I know it when I see it” (or don’t)

Readers constantly re-assess the degree of relevance as they scan and read stories

Relevance rewards readers, bringing them back to the paper, section and reporter

Page 12: Reaching readers

Knowing readers Decide obvious categories of reader Develop your own categories Answer about each:

Why are they here? What do they do here? Why do they read the TCA? What do they care about? What information and analysis will help them?

Page 13: Reaching readers

Identifying readers Categories

Demographics: age, gender, income, education Culture and lifestyle

Psychographics: values, activities, motivators Goals What they know What they want to know Their cognitive (learning) style

Page 14: Reaching readers

Demographics Demographics is a “broad stroke” view:

Age Ethnicity Gender Income/SES (socio-economic status) Education

Page 15: Reaching readers

Psychographics Categorizes and understands people by their

attitudes and activities Considered more accurate Predicts persuasion and motivation Research can help new What is important, group values and culture

Page 16: Reaching readers

Basics of increasing relevance a) People are complex: decide…

Their varied interests How the story might resonate, to help angle

Stories are complex: decide… Which aspects readers want are available How each might or might not work Priorities in the hed, lead, flow, close

Adding levels of relevance will resonate with various parts of readers

Page 17: Reaching readers

Basics of increasing relevance b) Try to include parts of the news meaningful

(at least by implication) for the future Try to include aspects with various relevance

for main group, and/or adding touches for other groups

At first this seems artificial and time-consuming, but will quickly seem natural and helpful

Page 18: Reaching readers

Kinds of Relevance Social: related to relationships Aspirational: addresses their hopes and goals Personal: related to situation and history Cognitive: unusual, strange, new Institutional: related to valued organizations Instrumental: practical utility Predictive: suggests future impact Geographical: attract territorial identification

Page 19: Reaching readers

Give readers more relevance in the… Topic

At least two topics in the first glance Art

Photos and graphics (e.g., sidebar) to attract readers Heds, etc.

Show the selected topic and suggest significance Lead

An implied question to outline the story or tease them Sections and paragraphs

Emphasize various aspects of the story Close

Pulls together the story and strengthens the idea

Page 20: Reaching readers

How do we decide relevance? What we were taught, especially “proximity” Conventional wisdom or “professional culture” Feedback from letters/calls Market Research studies News/reader links Experience in the community

Personal Interpersonal Professional

Intuition/hunches Staff meetings/discussions

Page 21: Reaching readers

Is relevance only about readers? Relevance is more than reader preferences

Should also include value to society “Fourth estate” power brings responsibility

“Civic journalism” says news has a duty… to inform readers and improve citizenship to increase and improve the news “dialog”

TCA should decide how it can support society

Page 22: Reaching readers

Finally… Questions? Comments? Examples?