People Don't Care... sorry...

Wow... harsh... I know. Here's the other thing I know, I'm right. 

Knowing this single fact-- that people do not care about what you write-- will save your writing.

You don't believe me? Fine then, write an article as if people want to read it. I'd bet a Blizzard that no one would. Now, write an article that makes them care. They'll have no choice.

That is the job of a Journalist-- that is what a Journalist does. They make people interested.

... Journalism just got a whole lot harder...

Not only are they required to give people "the information they need to be free and self-governing"(thank you, Kovach and Rosenstiel), they have to make the people want it-- all while remaining fair and balanced.

...good luck...

So how does this happen?... you might have me there... but let me try and answer it.

I care about a lot of things, but I do not care about celebrities. They bore me. So, when I see an article that is all about a celebrity, I'm not going to read it. No chance, no way.

But, I have read articles about celebrities in my life. Why is that? Because the author made me want to be interested. I had no choice, I needed to know more. The angle the author took impressed me to the point that I read every single word. How's that for not caring?

I guess I'm just trying to focus on K&R's idea that a journalist has to "strive to make the significant interesting and relevant." Quite frankly, I'd take that a step further-- A journalist must strive to make the insignificant interesting and relevant.

So what do you say, Dear Journalists? Will you try? Make me care, make me listen. To borrow the words of Clint Eastwood:

"Go ahead, Make My Day."

With all of Folly's Frivolity,

Allison Goett