How to make an unsexy story, sexy 

You have a story in front of you. The issue is important, the reporting is excellent and the potential for impact is huge. There’s only one problem: it’s kind of boring. Maybe it’s a data or document driven story or there are no obvious characters or plot. Maybe the subject matter is so heavy you’re not quite sure how you’ll even get people to click play.

In short, this story isn’t really a story yet – and it’s your job to make it one. A good one.  In this class, investigative reporter and producer Nadia Hamdan will lay out some of the creative ways you can make an unsexy story sexy, from pre-production to interviewing to writing to post-production. She’s had to do this countless times while working at Reveal – a weekly longform investigative podcast and radio show, often helping print reporters to turn their months-to-years long investigations into a compelling segment or hour of radio. There are those that come without a story written, without tape, and without any audio experience whatsoever. It’s daunting, yes, but it can also be exciting.

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve just started reporting and collecting tape, or if you’re knee deep in a story. Nadia will share examples from every phase of the reporting process.  You’ll leave this class knowing how to take a not-great story – with no arc, no characters and no plot – and, still, make it into great audio.