On Friday, we shared strategies for writing a compelling policy story in the era of coronavirus from The New York Times investigative reporter Sarah Kliff. Among her suggestions: Telling a personal narrative, because individuals can powerfully show the consequences of policymaking. This will stick with readers more than just numbers.
But where, and how, do you uncover the right sources? Today, we bring you her insights for finding the narratives that resonate.
- Use social media to crowdsource. Post your question on Twitter and join relevant Facebook groups. Make sure to tag industry experts or other health reporters with big followings. Here’s an example Kliff posted on her Twitter.
- Use your stories to seek out more sources. Add a quick note under your byline that you are looking for people to submit further information or personal anecdotes on a certain topic. Be sure to include your e-mail address. Here’s an example from ProPublica that Kliff provided during our “Covering Policy for the Public” writing workshop earlier this year.
- Connect with advocacy groups that work on the issue you want to cover. While advocates can provide valuable information, be aware that they may have an agenda.
- Ask for help from your newsroom to share your request on social media. Create a form where individuals can submit their experiences, and include links to the form in relevant stories.
- Have a clear idea of what you want to ask your sources (and keep in mind our top 10 tips for email interviews). Kliff gave an example of a vague callout she used at the end of her “The case of the $629 Band-Aid — and what it reveals about American health care” article: “Have you faced a medical bill like this? Tell us about it. E-mail your story to Sarah Kliff here.” That prompt solicited thousands of responses, she said, and it would have been much more helpful to narrow down the parameters with a Google form.