How to Use a Journalistic Mindset to Write About Any Topic
By: Jake Safane
Tags: Journalism, Marketing, Content Marketing, Content Creation, Writing

How to Use a Journalistic Mindset to Write About Any Topic

To create stories about subjects you’re unfamiliar with, be inquisitive and do your research like a journalist would.

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Being humble enough to admit what you don’t know is generally a great trait, but if you only stick to writing about topics you have deep expertise in, you can paint yourself into a tiny, frustrating corner.

While you don’t want to write about topics you’re unfamiliar with just for the sake of it — look on social media to see how exasperating and potentially dangerous it can be when someone shares an uneducated opinion — there are plenty of legitimate reasons to wade into unfamiliar territory.

For example, maybe you want to change your career path, such as if you currently write about education but want to move into covering technology. Or maybe you just have an interesting idea for a news article, marketing content or a fictional story that requires digging into a new subject.

So to start writing about an unfamiliar topic, think like a journalist. That means using an inquisitive mind to uncover the who, what, where, when, why and how (sometimes called the “five W’s and how” or the “six W’s”) of a topic so that you can share a story with your audience, who aren’t necessarily subject-matter experts themselves.

Many writers, like myself, started off by studying journalism in college, rather than a specific subject. Yet I soon found myself writing about niche finance topics for a living, even though I never worked in finance. If you think about it, this type of scenario happens all the time. Writers have to start somewhere, and if only industry practitioners wrote about their fields, then journalism schools and the media as we know it wouldn’t exist.

Instead, you can use the following three practices to figure out the six W’s and create a competent story around any subject:

1. Read, Read, Read

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Like the three most important aspects of real estate — location, location, location — you should read, read, read if you want to write about a topic you’re unfamiliar with. You don’t have to open up college textbooks necessarily, but you can read as much as you need to online until you feel comfortable with the topic.

For example, you could read:

News articles where interviewees share their views on relevant topics

Blog posts written by industry insiders

Studies published by reputable research companies

Whitepapers created by respected organizations

If you have time, you could also read non-fiction books about the subject. Or if you don’t process information well by reading, you could get to a similar place by watching videos from reputable media outlets, companies, non-profit organizations, academics, etc. Personally, however, I tend to find more in-depth, helpful written options, so I recommend trying to first find sources to read.

2. Interview Experts

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Another common aspect of journalism is interviewing experts to provide credibility, context and color to stories. But these interviews aren’t always just about producing quotes. A journalist can interview others as part of deepening the writer’s personal understanding, and you can do the same in your own writing.

Ideally, you could include quotes or paraphrases to entice potential interviewees to participate, but you still can find people willing to share their views and explain concepts to you for your background information, such as if they’re passionate about the subject and eager to spread that knowledge. Professors and other academics can be a great starting point.

For instance, if you want to write about robotics but don’t know much about the subject, you could ask an engineering professor for examples of how robotics currently make an impact on day-to-day life for the average person. In many cases, especially if the interviewee is being quoted, they want to help you get the story right and are willing to take the time to improve your own knowledge, as they understand that someone who doesn’t work in that field wouldn’t know much about it.

Also keep in mind that you don’t have to interview high-profile people or reach out to strangers. Maybe you have a friend, family member or colleague who has worked in the field you want to write about, and you can leverage them as a resource to help fill in your knowledge gaps. You might be surprised how willing people are to help if you ask.

3. Focus on What You Do Know

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You don’t have to write much about an unfamiliar subject to still wade into that territory, especially if this is an early foray for you into writing about new topics. Leverage what you can find through your research (e.g., reading and interviewing) to touch on the new subject, and then highlight other aspects of the story that might be more in your wheelhouse.

Sticking with the robotics example, you might not know much about the technical aspects, but you might be familiar with writing about economic issues or maybe you like to write about the human condition. As such, you could find an angle to the story where you incorporate what you do know, like writing about how the rise of robotics will cause humans to rethink the importance of hard work.

No one’s expecting or necessarily wants you to write an essay about what goes into coding and manufacturing robots. Instead, focus on what you do know and tie the new subject into one that makes sense for yourself and your audience.