Maintaining your status as the premier clearinghouse for community news is a constant challenge in today’s fractured media landscape.
Diminished resources are a fact of life in most newsrooms. Social media has spawned a proliferation of de facto news sites. And there are the inevitable instances when regional and statewide media outlets swoop into your towns for the big headline.
Stories involving sensitive circumstances especially draw heightened interest and, as a result, pose a particular set of challenges. Mass shootings, protests, labor strikes, car fatalities – editors can add to the list of high-profile events. These stories must be reported if newspapers are to be the go-to source for what’s happening in their communities and to remain relevant to readers.
These reports also are opportunities for newspapers to double-down on your foothold as a community institution. You were there long before the stories broke, you witnessed the stories as they happened, and you will be there to track the after-effects. Second-day stories are fodder to keep your edge over competitors.
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Savvy public relations folks are adept at pitching follow-up stories. For example, a press conference announces a new business assistance program; the second-day story can provide practical examples of how these programs have worked elsewhere and improved a company’s bottom line.
Supplementary reports are routine when it comes to government meetings. A city council raises sewer and water rates; what’s the impact on homeowners, Main Street retailers, business park tenants? A school district raises extracurricular activity fees; is assistance available for hardship cases? A county board imposes new feedlot regulations; are there repercussions for the local economy?
The value of second-day stories might be greatest when pursuing sensitive stories, and indeed underscores the need for covering these stories in the first place.
Suicides provide an excellent example. Even among newspapers that do not routinely report suicides, newsrooms are almost unanimous that suicides warrant coverage if they involve a public official or occur in a public setting. Those definitions can quickly blur and prompt expanded coverage. Many communities have formal response teams. The activity is visible and becomes a dinner topic.
Mass shootings are among the most riveting of stories and generate immediate widespread attention, often from national media. Staffs should capture the opportunity to provide thorough follow-up on a variety of fronts.
Newspapers often are charged with sensationalizing sensitive events. These stories are news, of course, but they must be covered in a careful and responsible manner. Criticism can be minimized if newspapers examine second-day stories that are informative and educational.
Each circumstance offers several potential angles to pursue.
For example, what are the causes of suicide? What are the warning signs of depression and suicide? What are the myths of suicide? What resources are available to people contemplating suicide? Compare and contrast local suicide rates with state and national statistics.
Mass shootings generate a host of questions. Were there warning signs? How was the response of emergency personnel? Could stricter gun laws have possibly prevented the tragedy? What resources are available to help families and friends cope with their grief, to help the community heal?
Newspapers must be selective in second-day stories, too. Consider work stoppages, especially at major employers, that can be terribly divisive and disruptive to communities. Be aware of the dynamics. Union representatives and striking workers have a propensity to volley charges against management. In contrast, management often is reluctant to say much and may be constrained by labor laws. Identify those benchmarks that warrant coverage.
Some strikes are very public and beg for follow-up on several fronts. A teachers’ strike forces households to find emergency child care. Are parents’ work schedules affected? If a strike is prolonged, what is the impact on students scheduled to graduate?
The scope of reports might be a springboard for an editorial campaign. A traffic fatality occurs at an intersection that has been the scene of many serious accidents. Check with law enforcement and produce a story and accompanying map identifying the sites of fatal and serious-injury accidents. Note those intersections that lack adequate traffic control. The story is a public service to motorists and pedestrians alike and might even produce an editorial “call to action.”
Sensitive stories are everyday news. But reporting the actual incident is only the first step. Second-day stories provide solid and substantive content.
Continuing coverage is your chance to shine and set yourself apart from competitors. Your reporters know the players. They are there day in and day out and have established relationships to pursue even the most delicate stories.
Most important, these stories provide a real value and service for your readers.
Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He is author of “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town Newspaper.” He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com.