To have impact you need to start with a compelling story! So make sure you’re plowing truly new ground, and that you choose something that wil grab the audience’s attention. Focus on issues that get beyond the 24-hour news cycle. For the Pulitzer Center this has meant selecting stories that provide insight into systemic-level cirses around the globe. The right choice will make amplifying your story - beyond the initial publication and broadcast - a much easier process.
Our project Water Wars in East Africa focused on access to clean water to sanitation, the lack of which accounts for more deaths per year than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. This turned out to be such a widespread systemic gobal issue that we commissioned new projects to explore water crises in other regions. We then brought the reporting together on an interactive portal, adding depth to the newer stories and keeping the older ones fresh.
Another example is our project in Guinea Bissau, a country taht has largely been taken over by drug cartels and terrorist organizations, and where HIV/AIDS rates have exploded at an alartming rate in the past few years. The country was a one-day story for most of the media, after the double assassinations of the president and army chief. Our photojournalist went beneath the sensational headlines to explore in depth the ties between drug-trafficking, terrorism, and the sex industry, as well as the devastating health and security consequences for the region. The reporting continues to resonate, giving it greater potential for distribution long after the immediacy of the assassinations has passed.