What’s the context?

By Rosland Gammon on Jul 30, 2009 in Basics, Best Practices

A proposed $50 million increase in federal funding for the Legal Services Corp., a nonprofit provider of legal services to the poor, prompted stories by The Washington Times and CBS News. The Times article focuses on a decorative natural-stone wall in one Legal Services office estimated to cost $150,000 and on 100 unused casino hotel rooms that the agency booked. The CBS News segment shares news of interest-free loans to employees. Both stories illustrate the inefficiencies, but the big difference is context.

Today’s Tip: Ask the right questions to add context and background to stories.

The Washington Times piece by Amanda Carpenter tells readers this isn’t the first time the legal agency has been accused of improperly spending money. That history provides a different perspective and makes the story more interesting.
You can apply the same tip to most business news stories. For instance, with a bankruptcy filing, is this the first? How many other companies in the industry have filed? Merger: first offer? New company executive: revolving door? Earnings: downward trend?

About the Author

Rosland Gammon is a former business journalist turned college instructor. Her newsroom experience includes reporting for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and reporting and editing at Bloomberg News. Gammon currently teaches communications at Alverno College in Milwaukee. Follow her daily posts. | E-mail: Rosland Gammon