My Date with the Librarian

For my project I am researching the best techniques and tools broadcast journalists use to humanize the news to impact their viewers. The subject librarian I met with, Elizabeth Smart, helped me find different ways to phrase what I wanted to research. For example, we found that typing "compassion fatigue" into the search engine as opposed to "humanize the news" produced academic journals and research more tailored to the information I want to find. She also taught me how to search multiple databases at one time, making the research process quicker and less confusing. 

I still need to research the psychology of consumers and why they respond they way they do. This will allow me to project which techniques can be used to hook them and cause them to feel something, which is the a big part of telling a news story. The project has been incredibly interesting thus far because it is reaching into other fields of research I was not expecting to be looking in, such as psychology. It is teaching me that there is way more to telling a story than I thought. For example, I found articles about what makes people more likely to help a victim. If a news story about the individual victim as opposed to a mass of victims, people are more likely to help that person. If a story is written, but the only information given is the statistics or percentages, people will not respond. I also found that focusing on one person as a way to tell a bigger story has it obstacles, and that a story has to be local and apply to the consumer's life directly in order for the person to feel like they can help or make a difference. 

Finally, for my literature review I am going through sources to see what else needs to be researched as far as the best techniques reporters can use to engage their audience. There is no research (maybe there is and I just haven't found it) on what broadcast reporters do to reach their audience and make them feel connected to the story being told. It is super specific research, but the research would allow reporters to know the best practices to convey the stories their audience wants/needs to hear in a way that will engage the consumers and make them feel an emotion.