An old unwritten rule in journalism is: The stronger the story, the easier it is to write.
Source: bp.blogpost.com
There is no need for writers block here, so choose your angle well.
When say 70 people are killed is a disco fire, there no wondering what the angle should be for the introduction.
Major disasters are by their very nature, very chaotic and even to government authorities they can be unclear.
Death tolls can spiral in ghoulish numbers very quickly, and this unfortunately is often the key indicator on how big the story eventually becomes.
So, how do we make sure that our coverage of a disaster doesn't turn into one?
#1. Death tolls.
The two aspects to reporting disasters are: death tolls and contacting the victims family.
Death tolls can be uncertain for many days, and even then the official government death toll can be wildly inaccurate.
Most early death estimates usually have an undershoot to them compared to an overshoot. The trouble is, we don't know until sometime later after the event.
If we can't find out the death toll, then take an estimate from a good source that is reliable and will say 'At least XYZ people died here today when ... '
Always make sure that you know which figure you are being given. Don't get it mixed up with the hospitalized and wounded too.
Source: http:media.sacbee.com
#2. The death call. Contacting the victims family.
This is one of the worst jobs in the world as a reporter; calling the relatives of the victims. Most families will not talk and many journalists just return with the story that they went through the motions and no one would talk.
There is no hard and fast approach to contacting relatives as all are different.
Discuss issues of privacy and confidentiality at the outset. Explain what you need and how long you'll be staying.
If you do follow these tips, then please don't catch yourself saying 'I know how you feel', as it's highly unlikely that you do.
When you hear something described by a journalist as disturbing, you know you cannot take it seriously.
~Kenneth Robinson
