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CHICAGO —
Congress has not again extended jobless benefits into December, so unemployed Americans will start to lose that income right before the holidays.
How to localize the story for your readers:
-- Dig up Christmastime stories from 2009 and 2008 to see whether you talked to any unemployed residents on how they were coping. Contact them again to see how their situations have changed -- if they've changed -- and what they and their children have learned from so much belt-tightening. What are they thankful for now, if they can't afford gifts and the big holiday dinner? What advice do they have for people spending a first Christmas unemployed or who may be losing benefits or a job?
-- Talk to local homeless shelters and food banks to see what their need is expected to be like this Christmas season, and compare it with last December and two years ago. Are they seeing the same faces, or are more families seeking aid? How can people help such agencies?
-- How will people pay their bills if their unemployment runs out? A callout is worth a try. What's the job market and seasonal employment climate in your town? Your classified reps may be able to tell you if they've taken more -- or fewer -- ads recently.
What other angles are you pursuing? Let me know, and I may include them in a future GHNewsroom post.
Congress has not again extended jobless benefits into December, so unemployed Americans will start to lose that income right before the holidays.
How to localize the story for your readers:
-- Dig up Christmastime stories from 2009 and 2008 to see whether you talked to any unemployed residents on how they were coping. Contact them again to see how their situations have changed -- if they've changed -- and what they and their children have learned from so much belt-tightening. What are they thankful for now, if they can't afford gifts and the big holiday dinner? What advice do they have for people spending a first Christmas unemployed or who may be losing benefits or a job?
-- Talk to local homeless shelters and food banks to see what their need is expected to be like this Christmas season, and compare it with last December and two years ago. Are they seeing the same faces, or are more families seeking aid? How can people help such agencies?
-- How will people pay their bills if their unemployment runs out? A callout is worth a try. What's the job market and seasonal employment climate in your town? Your classified reps may be able to tell you if they've taken more -- or fewer -- ads recently.
What other angles are you pursuing? Let me know, and I may include them in a future GHNewsroom post.
