At first hand
The most powerful stories come from people who have experienced something directly. Ellie Broughton looks at how case studies bring a story to life
T
orture in Bucha, deaths of fellow soldiers in Afghanistan, life as a dissident in exile: Rob Hastings’ subject matter is not for the faint-hearted. As special projects editor at the i Paper, Hastings has now spent nine years
finding eye-catching quotes and stories for its front page. During that time, he says, the first-person interview has become increasingly important for national news journalists and their audiences. “It shows why their insights matter,” he says. “That is reflected not just in the number and variety of stories commissioned, but in how they’re presented.” At the i Paper, even straight news interviews – which would
usually once have had a formal headline – are often published under a synthesised quote today, he says: “They immediately focus our attention on the experience. That might seem an obvious approach as we’ve grown used to it as readers, but I don’t think it was quite so common a few years ago.” Not everyone likes this approach, he adds, given the risk it could be reductive or simplistic: ”It doesn’t work for every story, but I feel there’s a legitimate reason why it’s becoming more common.” As news media vie for views, the first-person piece has risen in popularity across UK journalism. Competing with social media, some journalists may feel they have to work harder to connect with audiences. Leading with someone’s experience humanises a story and puts its experiential side – from lifestyle trends to global conflicts – front and centre of coverage.
The explosion in short-form video and podcasts may also
have given audiences – and writers – a stronger preference for hearing directly from interviewees. Whatever the reason for the trend, journalists may need to develop their interview skills to stay ahead. More than ever, Hastings says, journalists need to spend more energy listening than, for example, coming up with sparkling questions. “Take care not to make assumptions about their emotions,”
he says. “It’s the more surprising reactions that you as an interviewer don’t see coming that are usually the more interesting ones for readers.”
Better pitches Like Hastings, Sarah Graham almost always covers stories about taboo or life-changing experiences. As a freelancer, her stories on miscarriage, alcoholism, long covid and maternal mental health have been featured in national newspapers, shortlisted for awards by her peers and published in her book, Rebel Bodies, out on an imprint at Bloomsbury.
20 | theJournalist Graham says that featuring the people who have
Talking points
• It’s the more surprising reactions that you don’t see coming that are usually the more interesting ones for readers Rob Hastings
• Patience, relationship- building and boundaries are key to gaining trust Sarah Graham
• Case studies are almost always needed if I’m going to get a story picked up Lauren Crosby Medlicott
• Mental health can fluctuate so, if someone agrees to an interview while unwell, it doesn’t mean they’ll be comfortable with it forever Rehema Figueiredo
experienced such issues is key to the power of her features. “Experiences are really essential when it comes to bringing health features to life – no doctor or researcher can fully encapsulate what it’s like to live with a condition day to day in the same way that a patient can, so their voices are vital to readers’ understanding,” she says. A former communications officer for a charity, Graham
says she is still mindful of keeping the balance between safeguarding case studies and getting the best story. “I’m often dealing with sensitive and personal issues affecting women’s everyday lives, so patience, relationship- building and boundaries are key to gaining case studies’ trust,” she says. “For example, I’m always clear and up front with interviewees that being identified, ideally with photos, makes for a stronger story. I’m open to anonymising whole stories or leaving out sensitive details, and I always start interviews by telling the subject they don’t have to answer questions they’re not comfortable with.” She says giving the interviewee a chance to check their quotes before she uses them is something she does more regularly now she’s experienced. “I’m now probably more generous than many journalists – including my past self,” she says. “Again, I find this builds trust and confidence in me and my work, and often makes the difference to someone agreeing to be identified who might previously have been reluctant.” As with most freelancers, Graham never pays for stories. Undoubtedly an ethical problem, chequebook journalism is also a financial impossibility for almost every journalist. “Most of the publications I write for don’t include a budget for case studies and I can’t afford to pay interviewees out of my own fee, but I am always up front about this,” she says. Many of the case studies she speaks to come via charities or
campaign groups, so they’re generally happy just to raise awareness of their cause; Graham always tries to include links to relevant organisations, support groups or social media platforms when working with an individual patient. Like Graham, Lauren Crosby Medlicott has freelanced for
The Guardian, the i Paper, The Independent and Stylist. She agrees with Hastings that first-hand experience interviewees now seem essential.
“Case studies are almost always needed if I’m going to get a
story picked up because, typically, a staff writer can pretty easily write something that doesn’t involve case studies,” she says. She says she finds interviewees’ experiences hook her in, and believes readers (and editors) feel the same way. “It just brings so much life to features. If I’m writing about an issue that feels ‘in the clouds’, it brings it back down to earth when people can read a story of somebody who’s actually gone
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