Pretending that people only should consume cookie-cutter content is detrimental for our audience, our profession and our democracy.
When I tackled the topic of loneliness as a 2013 National Health Journalism Fellowship project, I honestly didn't think it would be hard to find people who were lonely so that I could write about the issue. I was right and wrong.
For the Dennis Hunt grant, Burt Hubbard and I-News produced a package of stories including video, photos and interactive graphics on Colorado’s new exercise requirements in elementary school. Incorporating student journalists in the project required a good, solid plan.
How can a reporter make those urgent stories on complicated health care topics feel urgent to the uninitiated? A compelling personal story isn't always enough to help the audience understand the deeper trend or causes. Sometimes the best solution is to find unusual sources or framing devices.
In teaching health reporting, journalist and educator Ivan Oransky encourages students to flex their multimedia muscles.
