When
choosing content for a television news show, producers are always trying to
answer the audiences’ question of “what’s in it for me?” This is a term that is used frequently in the
newsroom and it’s one we try to answer in the story. Often, WIIFM makes the news story applicable
and relatable. For example, if you’re
talking about crime rates going up over the past year, you’ll want to focus on
why the rates have gone up, what are the police doing to change it, and is the
community safe. You’re looking at your
writing from the outside in and asking “why should I care?”
Evaluating
WIIFM is part of the first phase of the writing process. Deciding what content to include is part of
the research process. As you’re
researching and learning the material of the story, you have to organize it. When I organize a news story, I decide what
the most important information is, then put it first. Once I organize, I can really start writing
and crafting the story. One of the best
ways to write is to put words on paper first, then re-write and edit until it’s
perfect. The last step, according to
Baker, is design. Often in broadcast
writing, this is the first step that then drives the story. Especially as a reporter, you write according
to your visuals. So, if you have a great
shot of a crackling bonfire, you’ll make sure you write a part where you can
show that fire. It’s important to
understand how you want the design to look like from the start so you can make
sure it’s visually possible.
This is
one of my stories that exemplifies WIIFM and writing to my visuals.
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