In the News: Stories to localize for your community 01.28.24
Of course, this is just a sampling of current stories that your staff could localize. The list is ongoing, and links to previous weeks are at the bottom.?
Posted: Jan. 28, 2024
Lessons in strong audio, video storytelling transcends generations
Charles Osgood, the affable radio and television commentator whose warmth and humor made him relatable to his audiences for nearly 50 years, died last week. Although younger audiences probably haven’t heard of him or his work (Osgood’s commentaries ran on CBS’s “Sunday Morning” before he retired in 2016), Osgood is a masterclass in storytelling.
Read the obituaries and tributes below, then head over to YouTube and look at some of Osgood’s interviews and pieces that interest you. What type of stories did Osgood tell? Why do you think they had wide appeal? How did he make stories about “everyday people” interesting? When interviewing more famous individuals, how did he show that he had “done his homework” speaking to his subjects? How did he show that he was listening to what his interviewees were saying? What type of vocabulary did he use in reporting? Explain the sentence structure in his narrations.
If you’re creating video or radio broadcasts, podcasts, or social media posts that include video or audio, compare your work to Osgood’s — even if you’re not a fan of his “folksy” style. How does delivery or tone of voice affect the piece? Is the tone in our stories relatable to our audience? If not, what could we do to improve our pieces?? What might we do better to make our pieces more cohesive? Who is our main audience, and what might we do to make our pieces more relatable to watchers or listeners? Are there stories about members of our community that we aren’t telling? Who are they? Are we representing all of the members of our community in the stories we tell, or do we simply concentrate on certain groups of people? What might we do to find stories that fully represent our community? Are there “everyday” types of stories that we are missing in our storytelling that are appropriate for longer features or even short social media posts? How do we determine the type of coverage a story gets??
‘There would be no Ken without Barbie’
Ryan Gosling, who portrayed Ken in the summer blockbuster “Barbie” and who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor,? was among the first to speak out about the movie’s director Greta Gerwig and the leading woman Margot Robbie not receiving Oscar nominations this week. Aggrieved fans and pundits cited sexism, and accused the Academy of exemplifying a major theme of the movie. Former Oscar winners, such Whoopie Goldberg, defended the Academy, saying “Not everyone gets a prize.”
The Academy Awards are scheduled for March 10, which gives your staff time to watch the features nominated for Best Picture and make its own decisions about who deserves to take home Oscars. After watching the top 10 picks for Best Movie, you may want to weigh in on whether or not “Barbie” got all the nominations it deserved — or at least make your own Oscar predictions and recommend which movies your readers should see (and where they’re playing or streaming).?
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Apps are in; now it’s time to figure out how to pay for college
Most students who are planning to attend college have turned in their applications and are waiting to hear back from their prospective institutions, but which schools they get into probably isn't as pressing of an issue as how they will pay for higher learning. Unlike their counterparts in European nations who may attend tuition-free public universities, even state college and university tuition and fees can be enough of a financial burden to put higher education out of reach, or it can saddle attendees with years of debt — whether or not they finish their degrees.
While students are waiting for acceptance notices, publications can help matriculating seniors (and college hopefuls in younger grades) begin to navigate paying for post-secondary education with a 2-page spread or a series of articles. Talk to college counselors, loan officers, and alumni who have since graduated from college for objective facts and first-hand experiences about financing a college education.
What is the cost of tuition at your state colleges and universities? What is the average cost of books and fees? How much should one expect to pay for student housing and meal plans? What are the different forms of financial aid, and what is the difference between loans, scholarships and grants? Are there special programs for first-generation college attendees or low-income families? How much money do state colleges “expect” parents will kick in? What is FAFSA and what are the “issues” surrounding it this year? What percentage of college students drop out, citing finances as the major issue? How much do students in the European Union — or Canada — pay to attend public colleges? Do you have current seniors or alumni who attended out-of-country institutions to save on tuition and fees? Who can take advantage of attending colleges in other countries, and are there special academic requirements? What percentage of your students favor the cancelation of student loan debt? How long does it typically take to pay off college loans? What is compound interest, and how does it affect paying back debt???
If you’re using these ideas, let me know.
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