Presented at PRNDI on June 20, 2014.

1. audience first for
your next big thing
PRNDI: June 20, 2014
Eric Athas
eathas@npr.org
@ericathas
Kim Perry
kperry@npr.org
@kperry9

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• We think too broadly
• We assume we know what people need to know
and want to know
• We go for shiny objects
• We rely on the audiences we already have and are
comfortable with
• We don’t imagine the best possible scenario before
going out and reporting
Common pitfalls of project planning

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This is a user story:
As a [role] I want to [desire/goal] so that [benefit]
Translation:
What is the thing you’re creating, who are the
people who want it and what will they do with it?
For example:
As a Kansas Citian, I want to know why Troost
divides my city so that I can better understand
the stigma surrounding the eastern part of the
city.
An audience-first
approach

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Examples

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KCUR

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 Kansas City spans a state border and has
highly visible dividing lines that have shaped
the city for more than a century
 KCUR is starting a project that uses dividing
lines and borders in our region as a lens to
tell stories from underrepresented
communities in Kansas City
KCUR

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Wrote user stories for each border

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As a Kansas Citian, I want to know why Troost divides my
city so that I can better understand the stigma surrounding
the eastern part of the city.
As a Kansas Citian who lives east of Troost, I want to
share the reality of living there to help shake the stigma.
As a Kansas Citian who doesn’t live east of Troost, I want to
understand the area’s challenges more so I can contribute to a
more informed community conversation.
As a community activist, I want to highlight the most important
issues facing Troost so that I can help spark change.
User stories

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#kcborders

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AwesomeThingsEastOfTroost.tumblr.com

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AwesomeThingsEastOfTroost.tumblr.com

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AwesomeThingsEastOfTroost.tumblr.com

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AwesomeThingsEastOfTroost.tumblr.com

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AwesomeThingsEastOfTroost.tumblr.com

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kcur.org/term/beyond-our-borders

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KCUR

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Vermont Public Radio

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• Vermont’s relaxed gun laws lead to gun-
for-drug trades in surrounding states
• Vermont is in the midst of an heroin crisis
• VPR wanted to tell this story by visiting
gun shows and stores, speaking with law
enforcement officials and tracking specific
firearms from their origin in Vermont to
documented crimes in neighboring states
VPR

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1. As the friend/relative of someone who died or is suffering
from from addiction, I want a place to see the things that other
loved ones see as reminders so I can feel less alone in my
situation.
2. As someone whose life has not been directly impacted by
drug addiction, I want to explore what has been shared here so I
can understand more about how addiction affects Vermont
communities.
3. As someone struggling with my own addiction, I want to hear
other people's recovery stories (and contribute my own) so I can
stay motivated and know that Vermont's conversation about
drug addiction isn't entirely driven by stigma.
User stories

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vpr.net/traces

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vpr.net/traces

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vpr.net/traces

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Vermont Public Radio

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• Who’s your audience?
• What do they need?
• How can you meet their needs?
• How are you going to reach them?
Workshop

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Questions?
Eric Athas
eathas@npr.org
@ericathas
Kim Perry
kperry@npr.org
@kperry9