Since I received approval and started writing my story, I found the lecture on Community and Conversation very impactful. This lecture made me think further about the measures I can take to ensure my story is as inclusive as possible. Air pollution can affect various aspects of a community, such as increased health concerns or damage to the environment, and every person has been affected, or not felt affected, by these factors in different ways. I do not live in the communities most heavily impacted by air pollution in San Diego, such as Barrio Logan and National City, so I want to ensure that I am not contributing to the idea of “parachute journalism.” Professional input will also be important to understand how air pollution can be affected and amplified by factors like climate change, lack of funding and resources, and a lack of awareness.
I will also be looking back at my notes on writing techniques so that my story can be read by as large an audience as possible. The tips for BASIC writing (brevity, adaptability, scannability, interactivity, and community/conversation) helped me break down and understand each component of news stories. I also had never heard of the “layer-cake pattern”, and I will include techniques such as using subheads and writing a summary at the top of my story in the future. I have also been paying more attention to the uses of these different writing techniques in the articles I read, and I have been trying to identify which ones fit best with my writing style. Alongside this, I have been thinking more about the voice I want to use in my stories and practicing ways to refine my style and tone, which I hope will reflect in my future writings.