Tell readers what they can do, not what they missed

By Rob Golub

Community journalists have got to stop telling people what they missed. It's no fun at all. It's a waste of space and resources, too.

Here's the sleepy scenario. Don't do this at home, please: A speaker is visiting every city. They stop at your city. You cover it and write a story that says what they said. They leave.

Now, I'm going to tell you what you already know in your heart: Your audience doesn't care.

Think about it. Be honest with yourself. Would you care? The visiting speaker is not local. They are unconnected with your community, though I admit they may have had a good, local hotel breakfast. They came, disappeared, and have nothing to do with your world.

Why would I want to read a local story about an astronaut who came and spoke in a local hall? If I'm interested in astronauts, there are other sites or publications that will give it to me better.

But if you tell your audience that the astronaut is coming to speak, and you interview said spacefarer or share some things about them in advance, well, that's out of this world. You've given your audience the inside track, everything they need to know before the news happens. Even if your reader doesn't go to the event, the fact that they could go gives them something to think about, something to consider. You have served them, giving them the ability to serve themselves. Now, they feel just a bit more powerful in a world where they too often feel powerless.

This strategy also spreads the news product around. Go-and-do coverage is like throwing confetti off a balcony. It spreads effortlessly, and you can't even stop it. Yes, your reader can consider going. But they can also consider who they know who might want to go, and there can be a sense of urgency because the event happens soon! They can glance through your story in advance of the astronaut's visit and consider texting it to mom, or a friend, or a coworker who hasn't taken off that Star Wars hat for a year. And who might they share it to? Suddenly, the confetti is everywhere.

This attaches good feelings to your news product. A friend sends a friend an article, just to stay in touch, and that moment becomes forever affiliated with your product. This is the sort of glue that emotionally binds your audience to your news product, and an emotionally-bound audience is more likely to respond positively to your revenue models.

This strategy is not just about serving your audience, though it offers plenty of that. It also improves your relationship with your audience. It strengthens your news product. It fuels up the spaceship.

Avoid telling your audience what they missed. Tell them what they can go and do.