A few weeks back, I wrote a column about something that is central to what we do as journalists: Listening.
The piece listed the many ways our team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is working to be connected to our community, including avenues to have your voice heard. That included a link to a survey that asked readers to tell us how they thought we are doing.
When reviewing the comments about where we can improve, two competing thoughts from readers stuck with me:
Your stories are too long.
Your stories are too short.
It made me wonder if what we in the newsroom see as two parts of the same mission leaves some readers confused about why there is such a mix of approaches to coverage online and in the newspaper.
In a way, the dichotomy simply reflects the challenge our team faces each day: Provide news in the moment, with expertise and precision, then add context and depth around important and complicated topics to help readers understand what is happening and why.
And to do it across platforms, devices and in all forms – words, images, audio, video.
So, yes, our stories can be long.
They often dig deep on important topics, from exploring gaps in support for domestic violence victims in rural Wisconsin to examining how tribes are being maneuvered out of the discussion surrounding an oil pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac to exposing a glaring disparity between how health insurance companies treat those with physical and mental conditions.
That last one recently prompted a bill in Congress aimed at rectifying the inconsistency. Sponsors credited our work. The series was one of many pieces of our 2024 work to win national recognition – 36 awards, reflecting the work of 24 of our journalists, in all.
These types of stories are often the result of months of painstaking work. They can involve dozens upon dozens of interviews, seeking and reviewing thousands of pages of documents, analyzing little-known databases, working with nervous whistleblowers and confronting difficult sources – sometimes all of the above.
These stories reveal new information, challenge conventional thinking, inform policymakers and the public, shine light on wrongdoing. They may make you angry, or sad, or touch your heart.
We’ve always done these stories. We always will. We pursue them with an intensity, depth and clarity that is unmatched, particularly by any newsroom of our size. Truly, every time one of these stories runs, it makes our community a little bit better.
At the same time, yes, our stories are often short.
They might tell you about a concert being announced, or canceled. A bridge being out. A restaurant that is opening or closing. Parking options for a lakefront festival. Or how to get in free. They might answer questions: Why are flags at half staff? Who got traded?
We know many readers experience us primarily online – reading stories on their desktop at work, or on their phone while on the go. They may find us first on social media, or via search. They want clean and clear answers to specific questions fast. Now. Not on their doorstep tomorrow morning.
We have given these sorts of stories a renewed emphasis. Truly, every time one of them publishes, it leaves our community better informed.
That mix is part of being essential to the community we serve.
Can we write long stories tighter? Sure. And we should. Can we add more depth and context to shorter stories? Yes. And we should. We work on both things every day and will keep at it. But there will always be a mix of both.
Of course, that split was just one of many themes from the reader comments. Another stood out as well, this one when it came to a question about what people liked most about the Journal Sentinel.
Your best stories are your long ones, some said.
Your best stories are your short ones, others said.
My response: I agree.
And I agree.
Greg Borowski is executive editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @GregJBorowski and reach him via greg.borowski@jrn.com.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: We write long stories. We also write short stories. Here’s why.
Reporting by Greg Borowski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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