Let people speak

John Blackstone of CBS’ “Sunday Morning” provides a closer look at California’s financial troubles from the mouths of the people experiencing it -- and with an eye to the past.

To set up the theme of California’s bust, the story juxtaposes images:

There was a time when the rest of the country looked west to California and saw a place of sunny beaches and postcard vistas . . . the thriving economy of Silicon Valley . . . and Hollywood, the world's capital of entertainment.
But lately the view west is of foreclosure signs and financial crises . . . and headlines about a state forced to pay its bills with IOUs.
In this economy, even Hollywood's dream factories can't deliver a happy ending.

Then, the segment offers a wide variety of voices, including the owner of a failed business that once did well by supplying props to movie makers and the founder of a going-out-of-business clothing store that opened in 1952.

Today’s Tip: Step back, and let your sources’ voices be heard. Humanize the facts with tales of real people.

People identify with other people, and letting your sources speak is the best way to connect with your audience.

What's the context?

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?