Big Picture, Narrow Focus: Profiles that Illuminate the World

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

A story centered on one person can be a useful way to illuminate a big issue. For example: An immigrant student living in fear of government policies on immigration. A local store owner forced to close shop because the economy is changing. A worker afraid of being put out of work by AI. In this class, we'll focus on that kind of story and on the building blocks of any good story: How do you find the right people to interview? How do you earn your subject’s trust? How do you conduct an effective interview? How do you bring a person to life with details, quotes and action? How do you weave the person’s life with the bigger issue? How do you collect facts—and check them? How do you structure a story? How do you convey meaning and feeling? We’ll examine stories—short and long—to see how the writers did it. We’ll listen to some good interviews. You’ll build several stories of your own.