For news organisations to succeed, they must attract and retain the interest of the public. Here we consider how the human touch is a vital tool in engaging with audiences.
Public service journalism, by definition, tends to concentrate on stories of significance. But that does not mean they have to be dull. And it does not mean journalism can ignore other stories that are less serious but have the capacity to grab the attention of the audience.
Important coverage of politics, the economy, international affairs, and other heavy-duty subjects needs to be thoughtful and thorough. But the coverage is much more effective if it also demonstrates the human angle.
Finding the human angle
Whatever the story, the audience will inevitably wonder “what does this mean for me?” A good news provider will always try to answer the question.
If taxes are going up, for example, it is always helpful to find real-life cases that demonstrate exactly how a particular family or a business will be affected. This will emphasise and support the relevance of the expert analysis.
If a volcano erupts in a far-off continent, people will want to know the details and sympathise with the victims, but they will also want to know if the dust cloud will disrupt international travel or affect the weather.
Readers, viewers and listeners will be drawn in by stories that relate directly to them. It shows that the news provider understands them and knows what issues are important to them.
All of this is standard journalistic practice, as set out in our article ‘The questions every journalist should ask’ by John Allen. These six questions, applied to any story, can help highlight the human angle:
- Who is affected?
- What will it mean to them?
- Why is it important to their lives?
- When will the changes happen?
- Where will it affect them most?
- How will people be affected?
Lighter human angles
But people do not want an information diet that concentrates solely on serious subjects – however skilfully they are presented. Life is broader than that and news coverage should reflect some of its variety and richness.
Sometimes a story has news value just because it is highly unusual. Stories about the man who collects Tibetan typewriters, the woman who has carved the Taj Mahal out of cheese or the couple celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary have no wider significance – but they do have the power to attract and intrigue the audience.
We should not be sniffy about this type of story – and we should not do too many of them. But there is a legitimate purpose in including them occasionally in a serious newspaper, website or radio or TV news bulletin.
Human interest stories can act as an entry point into a news provider’s offering and stimulate greater interest in the stories of greater significance.
In an increasingly competitive news media environment, the importance of a trustworthy but also attractive product is greater than ever before and human interest stories have a part to play in helping achieve sustainability.
There is a clear danger in going too far down this road. Utterly frivolous stories and celebrity tittle-tattle will undermine a news provider’s reputation for serious coverage
But oddities, amusing incidents and quirky happenings all have a place – a small place, yes, but a perfectly legitimate place – in serious journalism. It is vital to remember, though, that the same rules apply to them as to any other story: they must be genuinely newsworthy and the reporting must be accurate, impartial and fair.
Why the human angle is important
The human touch is therefore important because:
- It helps to engage the attention of the audience
- It shows the provider understands what matters to the audience
- It draws attention to the serious, public service coverage
- It provides a more representative, accurate view of life
- In a competitive marketplace, it helps with sustainability.
