Caring Awards winners leave readers feeling warm and fuzzy
A recent USA Today article called “Caring Awards honorees push the limits of reaching out” left me feeling not only warm and fuzzy but, more importantly, satisfied with the information I got in the amount of time I spent.
The article was one of the shortest I have read in USA Today while also being one of the most effective. The lead of the article is what really set the story apart for me. The lead tells readers exactly what happened, who it happened to, why it happened to them and where it happened all the while including some sense of personality with an anecdote at the very beginning. Following the great lead was a short background section that provided readers with important details about the actual organization sponsoring the awards, how winners are selected and even a tidbit about previous honorees.
The article was broken into two sections, a beginning with background information about the awards and a middle/ending with a short blurb about each of this years 10 honorees. This organization system worked well for the article because it provided a consistent flow that made the information easy to soak up. Each honoree was featured, organized from the oldest to the youngest, with a short paragraph about the accomplishments he or she has made.
This article, with its effective lead, flawless organization and cheesy yet appropriate quotes, is one that I will surely call upon again in the future as a prime example of successful journalism. (As a side note, I did have one question when I finished reading: why are the “young people’s” ages included and the “adults” ages are not?)
