Good journalism is all about telling stories, whether you're writing for the web or print. Robert Niles, of the Online Journalism Review, suggests some of the assumptions we make about writing for the web are wrong. He says regardless of your platform writers must remember: "To connect with that audience, however, journalists must report thoroughly, write with authority and place all information in their reports into a context relevant to readers' personal lives." And Jonathan Dube, of cyberjournalist.net, makes similar points, at least in part. "People want to know not just what happened, but why it matters. And with all the information sources out there now, in the end it will be the sites that explain the news the best that succeed. Write and edit all your stories with this in mind." Readers simply stop reading if reporters don't explain what's in it for them. My advice: Everytime you write a story, put a sticky note on your computer that reminds you to ask: "Why Should I Care?" Remember who your readers are and make sure you answer that question.
Think of your own reading habits. Why do you keep reading some stories and not others?
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