Officials gather information on a incident Sept. 26 in Oppenheimer. The Ranger wrote six follow-up stories on the incident. File
By definition, news is new information of a sequence of events in a perpetual state of change.
While some stories have an ending, most don’t, and it’s up to journalists to keep track and follow up on changes of those events, whether it be the hiring (or firing) of an employee, a new policy adopted by the Alamo Colleges board of trustees or something as simple as the cancellation of an event.
By writing follow-up stories featuring different angles, journalists are keeping news fresh and in the minds of readers who want to know more about a particular event or topic.
For example, in September, The Ranger covered breaking news of an incident that occurred in Oppenheimer Academic Center.
Though details were not immediately released to the public, including the reason why it occurred in the first place, by following up with college administrators and district police, The Ranger continued to follow-up on the altercation until finally getting to the bottom of the story a month later.
Concerning this incident, The Ranger received multiple phone calls to the newsroom, a letter to the editor and news tips submitted online from readers who wanted to know the entire story.
Follow-up stories also promote accountability from sources, which consequently encourages transparency.
There will always be people, readers and sources alike, who may dislike when reporters write about “old news,” however, there are also those who appreciate learning new information from a fresh perspective.
