Keys to writing long reports that captivate the reader.
Source: Luca de Tena Foundation, Journalism Laboratory
By the Editorial Staff
Riding the New Silk Road, uno de los ejemplos elegidos como reportajes largos bien ejecutados, publicado en The New York Times.
Los reportajes o las historias periodísticas largas bien ejecutadas son una forma de ofrecer valor añadido en un contexto mediático donde el flujo constante de información puede resultar abrumador. Estos reportajes emergen como un oasis de profundidad y reflexión para quienes buscan algo distinto al periodismo adoctrinador y editorializante.
Según Dimitry Shishkin, autor del popular modelo de necesidades del usuario de noticias, estas narrativas no solo tienen el potencial de mantener a los lectores en el sitio por más tiempo, sino que también incrementan el compromiso y fidelizan a la audiencia. Smartocto ha profundizado en esta cuestión y ha sintetizado cuatro aspectos fundamentales a tener en cuenta para lograrlo.
1-Always prioritize the audience
The starting point for any long story must be a deep understanding of the audience's needs and concerns. It is crucial to ask: Why should they care about this topic? How do they relate to it? And, above all, do they really care? Finding the meeting point between the "why" of the audience and the "why" of the medium is essential to ensure the relevance of the content. By satisfying existing concerns, answering questions, and connecting with audience interests, you win half the battle from the start.
Content that seeks to quickly update the audience often plays an informational triage role, while follow-ups offer greater breadth and depth on specific topics, events, or breaking news. Investigative pieces, on the other hand, aim to reveal less accessible stories in impactful ways.
2- The importance of visual elements
The reading experience on digital devices is intrinsically different from that of printed newspapers. The limited screen of a mobile or tablet means that variety in the scrolling experience must be taken care of.
Photos featured quotes and videos not only add visual interest, but also enrich the narrative. In fact, an analysis by Smartocto's lab team revealed that 20% of the articles with the highest engagement rates included videos. It is essential that any visual content supports the main message of the text that precedes it, featuring attractive layouts and easy-to-interpret graphics.
3-Reflect critically on the chosen format.
Sumi Aggarwal's reflections in Nieman Lab's 2024 predictions highlight that long-form articles tend to appeal to a specific, generally older, demographic. However, to reach target communities, it is necessary to think beyond the traditional website reader.
Innovating in the delivery of investigative reporting and offering proposed solutions in a way that is meaningful to the audience can create new relationships between news consumers and newsrooms. Distributing serialized content through social networks, using billboards and collaborating with influencers are suggested strategies to expand reach. influencers son estrategias sugeridas para ampliar el alcance.
4-Narrative as an essential tool
Humanity has channeled understanding through stories since time immemorial. Reflecting on the art of storytelling is crucial, especially in the context of long-form journalism.
Reading works such as Will Storr's"The Science of Storytelling"or Jonathan Gottschall's "The Storytelling Animal" can provide valuable lessons applicable to journalistic work.
Katherine Rundell, in " Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise," argues that children's books speak of hope and courage, lessons that are fundamental to anyone telling stories of any kind, anywhere.
Ultimately, writing long stories that engage requires a balance of depth of content, relevance to the audience, innovation in format and, above all, powerful, emotional storytelling.
These elements, combined with meticulous execution, can transform a long-form story into an immersive and enriching experience for the reader.
Other examples of well-executed long-form stories include the following:
New York Times: ‘Riding the New Silk Road‘
The Guardian: The rise of the deepfake
BBC News: China’s hidden camps
