Sounding Interesting Without Being Sensational

It is most definitely possible to make a story interesting without making it sensational. Making a story interesting is all about how the journalist writes the story. There are many tools and methods a journalist can use to do this. 

After reading and discussion in class, these are some of the methods I think are really helpful:

 Show instead of tell. We have talked a lot in class about how showing is much more interesting than telling. Good descriptive words and phrases help the reader enter the setting of the story. When in the story, the reader is much more likely to care about what he/she is reading. Did you know Wikipedia has a page called “Show, don’tell”?

Use Interviews. Another tool used by journalists is interviews. Interviews provide an inside look at what someone may be thinking or feeling. Emotion brings a huge element of interest to a story.

Be aware of the length. The length of a story can make a big difference in how interesting it is. Even a very intriguing story can lose the attention of readers if it seems never-ending. On the other hand, stories that are too short may not delve deep enough into the issue to really get the reader’s attention.

These are just some of the ways that a journalist can make a story interesting without compromising the facts of story. 

Why tell the story when you can show it so much better?