Wolf Pack Journalism

  Too many journalists are followers. They chase after the easy targets in search of a "juicy" story, one that an editor once said should "sizzle."
   There's often a thin line between news and gossip, and that's why so many reporters focus on robberies, shootings, fires, crime or loud-mouthed politicians.
   Or as another editor once noted, "If it bleeds, it leads." Such stories go on Page One, while others with more important economic, governmental or political consequences are relegated to inside pages.
   It's true, of course, that some folks are interested mainly in politics, business and economics, while others prefer to know what Hollywood celebrities are up to.
   Somewhere, however, there is a balance, and a conscientious news outlet tries to provide all elements to readers and viewers.
   At the same time, it's true that many general assignment reporters feel that writing on business and economic stories is "too hard." They prefer to chase after the easy, colorful, dramatic stories such as fires, crime and talkative celebrities and politicians who yammer on about their own alleged greatness while evading the business of government. One difference, of course, is that politics is about getting elected. Government is about getting something done.
   But the more important stories are often not what the wolf pack is chasing, but what's happening on the fringe of the social field. It's up to reporters and writers to spark interest in an important story.