Capturing Authentic Narratives

How, as a journalist, do you ask the questions that yield this type of narrative? You have to know what to ask of whom. First, you need to understand that every piece of journalism requires a trifecta of sourcing. If you picture the reporting process as depicted by a triangle, one side will be official sources, another side will be overview sources, and a third side will be unofficial sources. All three components are necessary in every well-reported piece. The first side has official sources. Those are the people with titles and expertise who own the company; are spokespeople for the movement. They tell you the numbers, and the answers to how much, how many, where, when, and who. A second side of the triangle includes overview sources: academics, consultants, authors, who are not directly connected as stakeholders but have knowledge of the big picture. Yet it is the third side of the trifecta unofficial sources who hold the power of the individual's insight. This is where you can find the why, giving consequence on the event, trend, phase, or idea and what it means on a soul level to someone affected by it. So how do you mine for the gems, identifying what is compelling from what is chatter? You ask surprising questions. To achieve the complicated, fragile human connection, you regard the stories of every subject as sacred. Realise that an anecdote is oxygen that breathes life into a grey story of exposition, facts and data.