The Reuters article about the Australian housing market is a good example of a hard news story that succinctly – yet engagingly – reveals the facts.
RBA Governor Glenn Stevens is quoted, appropriately, on the likelihood of interest rate rises, the current cash rate, and the difference between it and the rate passed on by the banks. He also warns that the heat in the property market will necessitate a commensurate rise in interest rates – back to ‘normal’ levels – in order to arrest rising house prices.
Overall, this is a fairly straight-forward hard news story. Although some might prefer to avoid reading such serious material, the subject matter affects most Australians.
And as such, I thought that Stevens’ technical, expert quotes were very cleverly augmented by a personal aside: he reveals his own concerns for his children’s ability to afford their own homes in the not too distant future. This is the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia talking!
I thought this little nugget of personality brought colour and insight to a topic many might see as grey and boring, and would better aid some readers’ grasp of the message.
I’ve been trying to decide if there are any hard news stories that cannot accommodate such a departure. Would a report on a murder or other serious crime strictly prohibit such a personal reveal? What if it helps to tell the story? Maybe not, but in this instance the Reuters writer quickly springs back onto concrete footing with facts about housing affordability statistics. Clearly it’s not impossible to add a little sugar to the sour.
Marika Dobbins’ article on underquoting is another hard news article, the housing market again under the microscope, but in a much ‘juicier’ context. Raids on real estate offices, fines, legal action, all connected to the convoluted sleight of hand that differentiates agent estimates, advertised estimates, and reserve prices. Excellent quotes help convey the frustration (Prahran buyer Chris Tollis); the posed solution (whistleblower agent, John Keating); and the response (REIV chief, Enzo Raimondo).
Quotes from investigated agents are also included.
I thought Ms Dobbins’ article was relatively balanced, except for one paragraph where she quotes unnamed ‘critics’ who say (significantly) increased fines will make little difference to underquoting. I understand her desire to get this point across, but ‘critics’ could be the flakes that write to the letters editor for all we know. I suspect those critics are probably counsel acting for the ACCC and CAV, but this is not made clear.
I like the hard news stories. Boring as that probably makes me sound, but I’ve come to appreciate just how bloody hard they are to write! I’ve been so accustomed in my writing experience to wax on arrogantly with lots of clever adjectives, thinking that was the cerebral stuff. And yet, what do we (girls especially) always tell each other on issues of style and function? Less is more! Quality, dahling, not quantity…
But this brings me to the crème brulee. And if ever the clever, sensation-invoking adjective were used to uber-impact, it’s in Claire Davie’s Melbourne Gastronome blog. As if the stunning photographs were not enough to illustrate the magnificent quality and array of food she critiques, her words easily match the pictures for colour and life.
Writing of a near-orgasmic state of excitement for the food, Ms Davie reveals a fun and gregarious style, delivered with wit. She also gives us that insider-perspective without truly being an insider. She’s really still one of us, but gets lots of extra insight (and perks) because of her burgeoning fame.
I think for the subject matter, the soft/feature style is perfect. The medium, her blog, is ideal – perhaps not everyone can immediately picture a cigarillo of Tunisian brik pastry filled with parfait de fois gras …so the image accompanying her words works beautifully.
