Why news and feature writers are so important

Last week, I was invited to give a presentation to a major corporate about the importance of the media.

This brief got me thinking. I have never considered my job - a print journalist - as an altruistic one in the same light as a doctor, aid worker or volunteer. But, on insightful consideration, I realised I could stand up in front of a group of people and tell them why they needed me, and my colleagues.

Here is an abridged version of what I told them.

Without news, without journalists, without writers, without industry commentators, we are without knowledge.

Without these resources, we are stuck in a vacuum of opinions and information that can only be gathered from within our own limited social and professional networks.

Without these resources, there is no-one holding the policymakers accountable, there is no commentary to provide viewpoints on what the future holds for our personal communities and the industries in which we work.

The media and news gatherers are what link all of us to one another - and to the broader community.

Yet, the media is one industry which is largely taken for granted, with little thought from the community as to how news is generated.

The creation of ideas

Journalists generate their story ideas in many ways: following up on the news of the day; through personal experience and interests; inside knowledge from media savvy contacts and whistleblowers; trends.

Those news gatherers working full-time for publications are often constrained by the topics, tone, style – and, sometimes, bias - that are relevant only to their target readership to determine their ideas.

Freelance journalists, however, have the freedom to follow and report on any issue, so long as they can find a publication prepared to print it.

Good news gatherers, whether they are freelancers or staff reporters, are tenacious in their research, fastidious in their cross-checking to flesh out the facts.

They seek to balance every story by chasing different viewpoints.

The aim, ultimately, is to produce an objective article that delivers the facts: with flair, of course.

Supply and demand

Many people think that journalists ‘beat up’ stories, that we make things up, that we sensationalise to turn a simple idea into an elaborate tale of fancy.

The reality is that news gatherers and media outlets are in the business – like everyone – of meeting their customers’ needs.

It is the consumers of newspapers, in fact, that propel writers to target the most sensational hook of a story, that inspire sub-editors to create the headline that packs the most punch.

If subs and writers don’t grab a reader’s attention, they don’t sell newspapers and magazines. It's that simple.

Consumers don’t want to read drab stories. They want excitement, intrigue, mystery, scandal, contentious viewpoints, bad behaviour.

For example, would readers be inspired by this headline?

Politician has an affair

What about this?

Minister labelled 'dirty cheat' after sex romp scandal

The facts of the story that follow will remain the same, but how that story is told will determine whether readers bother reading on or not.

Of course, readers don't enjoy, or believe, or even read every story in a newspaper or magazine.

But if the writers and subs are doing their jobs well, readers will respect the media and will continue to absorb the news and information that we report.

After all, without news gatherers, there is no accountability for anyone in society, there is no sense of community at a global level, there is – quite simply - no knowledge.

There is just you.

For more information about Pamela Wilson or WriteSmart, log on to http://www.writesmart.com.au/