Context
In the middle of the questionnaire, participants were asked, "How important is it to give background and context in your stories?" Though we have seen in this paper the difficulties of giving context, all agreed that it is an important role. A newspaper reporter called it a "prerequisite of good journalism." 1 A television news director said, "We are a world on a fast food diet that needs to get the whole meal, not just the appetizer. Without context reason is lost, and decisions can be made that will be detrimental to individuals or the communities you serve." 2
Two Web journalists were asked follow-up questions about the difficulties of establishing context. Both agreed that it is difficult but offered solutions:
- Web B: "Yes, it is more difficult. I think the thing to do is move toward bulleted items ... remember the old newspaper headlines? They practically listed the entire story just in headlines. I think the ticker in Times Square has had it right all along ... phrases, keywords, etc. The other possibility is providing links or lists of sources where readers can get more info on a subject." 3
- Web A: "If you're talking online reports, the hyperlink provides the perfect compromise between context and brevity. The story's short, but the links are as deep as the Internet. ... What some people lose sight of, though, it how much work it can take to sort through archives, summarize and select the appropriate material to provide that context. In my experience online, the limiting factor has always been human time, not the size of the news hole." 4