3 Things to Consider When Reporting Local News

What I learnt from my experience

I was shocked to see members of the Bournemouth community coming together underneath an article to attack ‘lazy’ parents who ‘should’ve been financially stable for at least 16 years before even thinking about having children’. This completely contradicted my earlier research on social media, which showed many Bournemouth residents to be outraged with the council’s vote against the notion. Naturally, this made me question why the article had provoked this type of reaction. I found that context, a clear angle, and appropriate image choice are 3 key factors in writing a great local news story.

Context matters

Context was the primary reason I questioned these brutal comments. Had the readers of this article not seen the news? Were they not enraged by the government’s decision? Of course, I was aware that there would be some opposition to extending free school meals over the school holidays, but the overwhelming negative response to this article felt surprising when reading it. As the article proceeded to talk more about the councillor, and less about the area’s need for free school meals, it became clear that the premise of the wider national story had been somewhat lost in translation. Regional news is read by members of the public who care about their communities, so local statistics are crucial. Readers would have probably been aware of the national coverage. Were they aware that 23.2% of children in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are living in poverty? Perhaps not. Know your audience, and share information that’s important to them!

Angle clarity: start as you mean to go on

A clear angle starts with an appropriate headline. First impressions are important, and headlines and leads are the readers introduction to your story. A headline must always be accurate, and relevant. When writing about a public figure’s act of charity or kindness, it’s automatically subject to significant scrutiny. Details such as the article and lead being too focused on the person themselves, paired with little context, can lead to community members feeling as though the act isn’t genuine, or in some way opportunistic. Research shows that our attention spans are becoming shorter. A clear angle from the very beginning ensures that readers won’t make any hasty assumptions and stop reading prematurely. Make a good first impression!

Choose images wisely

Great news images will have 3 things: life, relevance and meaning. For local news the meaningfulness of an image, particularly, will influence community response. If the image is superficial and doesn’t add anything to the story, it can seem somewhat like a photo opportunity — especially when the article is about a public figure. To be truly meaningful, images should be relevant to the wider news story. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. Choose an image that tells your story accurately!