by Leo Wiles
27 May 2016
I was reading Lisa Waananen Jones’ post this week about case studies and why you can’t just rely on people you know for sourcing stories.
Which we all do, if we’re honest.
But while tapping your friends and their Kevin Bacon-style six levels of separation can work in a pinch when you’re on deadline and need a quick breakout, what happens when the well runs dry? Or when you find yourself with a eyebrow-raising brief and your case-study mates just don’t cut the mustard?
Back in a murky past, where I wrote for London tabloids to pay the rent, an editor of mine set her heart on a story about a ‘straight’ couple where a man married a ‘woman’ who had previously been a man. The sting in the tale? A couple had to have slept together while the ‘woman’ was still intact as a man and her fiancé didn’t know. Oh and they had to give permission to be photographed and supply the before and post operation couple shots.
Somehow I did it. Spurred on equally by a pit-bull mentality that sees me chase a story no matter what – and, of course, the financial desperation that can plague many of us when we start out (or experience a lull). Now, while I have a lot of friends of all sexual orientations, it took a mammoth effort to a) actually find a couple that fit the brief in the first place; b) persuade the couple, who hadn’t told their nearest and dearest, to take part and c) make peace with my ethics.
Of course, when you’re doing corporate writing, the client has their control group of interviewees / case studies to mine from – but if you’re looking for that elusive person to illustrate your news story or feature and you need them pronto, what do you do? Sure, you can put a callout to Facebook and watch them come running like a reality show cattle call. You could try the shout-out services on Rachel’s List and Sourcebottle. Or if you need something further afield, there’s always America’s Help a Reporter Out (HARO) or the UK’s Case Study Link.
To my mind, however, I find myself agreeing with Waananen Jones, who wrote that as journalists one of the most valuable skills you can learn is getting to know people unlike yourself. They’re not just talking about different creeds, culture or gender but people who are fundamentally different in their values, ideals, life stages and ambitions. I really think creating a network of these people to call on is the secret to always having a great case study up your sleeve.
While doing this can sound like a turn-off, doing so makes us hugely versatile and valuable as journos. As a cadet, I for one picked up stories by drinking with cut-throat stock traders, Mad Men-style advertising bad boys and London lawyers with a celeb client list whose tip offs raised my profile as a show biz journo. (And also saw me land my first front page by-line above the fold.)
However, for real life case studies, I always found that listening to acquaintances is even better than a Hootsuite feed. Especially for the really important trends such as budget fall-out and how it affects those in our community.
Unlike some of us introverts, I enjoy communicating with strangers. To the point where a ten-minute walk down my high street takes roughly half an hour as I make small talk with the good folks of the Sunshine Coast. It was the same when I lived in my beloved Sydney village of Rozelle – or Kew in Victoria. I like people, they may love or hate me, but somehow they are happy enough to stop, chat and share what’s going on.
So next time you go for a walk or stand in line for coffee turn to the person in front, behind or next to you and say g’day. You never know – they may just be the inspiration for your next piece.
What are your top tips for landing case studies? Or better yet, share the hardest or weirdest one you’ve ever landed in the comments!
