Such journalism can be criticised as advocacy journalism as it allows the reporter to become involved with the audience. It permits for a more wide-ranging review of a topic and it allows for all concerned, reporter and listener to become emotionally involved with the issues.
It requires the community reporter to dig deeper initially, but once these roots are exposed it will become obvious that many of the surface problems have their origins in the same root causes.
In seeking for such deep-seated explanations the community reporter can make alliances with interested people and organisations across the planet that will most likely be pleased to provide information in return for serious, regular publicity.
You can keep this core information fresh by ensuring that each time you offer a piece of 'explanatory journalism' you craft it to include a 'why should I care' aspect to ensure that local listeners can see connections between this often distant event and their own lives.
Materials: Flip chart paper, markers. |
