As reporters we use our senses to immediately begin gathering information for our stories. But, sometimes what we see and hear is not the whole story. Our own hearts and our life experiences may help us see more of the story than we have ever seen before.
Don’t let the obvious lead you to a story with no emotional range.
So begin developing your emotional range. Start your own life experience checklist. Remember what it felt like to be dumped by a lover or how you felt when you had that car accident. Go back to the time when you got a big holiday cash bonus or when your child brought home her first handmade valentines card.
A news director told me that when he is hiring a new reporter he looks for a candidate with a developed emotional range. They tell more powerful stories, he says. Life is powerful and it should be jumping off the screen when your piece airs. Make sure yours do.
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