Digging into the "why" of community journalism

A man rides a "penny-farthing" bicycle, also known as a high wheel bike. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Too often, local coverage gives us just the basics — the facts, the numbers, the who/what/where/how — but misses the why, the personal inspirations and emotions of the people involved. That deeper motivation is the kind of thing that usually doesn’t make headlines or is sometimes left out of an article entirely. Community journalism isn’t simply about reporting. It should be about recognizing community members and their passions.

I believe that personalization in a story is something any and every journalist can improve upon, myself included. Last July, I wrote a story about Frederick’s annual High Wheel Bicycle Race where participants ride comedically large “penny-farthing” bicycles through Market Street. I obviously reported the what: the number of riders, the date and time, the event lineup. But this kind of event lends itself perfectly to uncovering the why.

What makes a biker from Sweden travel thousands of miles to compete in this race? What drives the local volunteers to spend months planning and organizing the event? Admittedly, these questions can’t all be covered in the span of a single article. But my argument is that even a fraction of more personalized, community-centered content can go a long way.

For example, another article written about the race told the story of a bicyclist who had recently received a heart transplant, explaining why competing was especially important to him. Stories like this, that may not fit into the traditional journalism narrative, sometimes deserve their own spotlight.

Often, the why doesn’t fit into just a sentence or two. It requires questioning, listening, and in-depth journalism. I’m not saying to do away with the inverted pyramid. Structure and clarity are important, but efficiency and depth can coexist. A story can relay essential facts while still yielding a touch of humanity, going beyond statistics. In community journalism especially, readers look beyond information. They look for connection with the people being featured.

When I think back to writing the High Wheel Race story, I don’t necessarily remember the schedule or number of participants. I remember the story of the event organizer first riding a high wheel himself and falling in love. I remember the story of one participant joining the race because she lost a bet. I remember the why.

I think community journalism should always strive to dig deeper. Rather than simply documenting what happened, let’s find out what it means to those involved.