Why they read us

Jerry Bellune

Aug 1, 2022

The Center for Media Engagement asked focus groups for their common concerns. They found that readers want us to:

1. Dig deeper.

Readers often feel our news stories miss details or are superficial. Many readers wanted the reporting to go beyond the story’s basic elements. The center recommend that we look critically at our reporting and explore all aspects of the story. This might include explaining background, providing context and taking an investigative approach.

2. Explain terminology.

Will the average reader understand all the terms in our stories?

Journalistic terms that are part of our everyday vocabulary are not entirely familiar to our audience. The same goes for business, crime and other topics. To help, we should detail the processes in our stories, avoiding cop talk and industry jargon.

3. Explain our sources.

Readers don’t have an inside look at our reporting They don’t know why we contacted specific sources, who declined to speak or who did not answer our requests for interviews.

Sometimes, readers perceive an imbalance in reporting. They question reporters’ decisions to include or exclude specific sources. At times, they feel the people quoted seem irrelevant while more critical sources were left out. Therefore, it’s important to include a variety of sources and explain why we chose them.

Next: Have fun with your readers

For more on reporting, writing and editing, read writing coach Jerry Bellune’s The Art of Compelling Writing, available for $9.99 at Amazon.com.

Jerry Bellune is a writing coach and author of “The Art of Compelling Writing, Volume 1.” For a personally autographed copy, send your check to him at PO Box 1500, Lexington SC 29071-1500.