Death tolls, casualty updates, figures for the starving and homeless – they are all a vital part of crisis reporting - but try to flesh out the facts and figures with gripping testimony from witnesses and survivors. Putting a human face to an emergency helps your audience identify with those who are suffering. It also lets you focus on the particular to evoke the general. Don’t skimp on descriptive colour to bring your story to life. And look for unusual or even quirky angles to give your audience something to remember.
Remember that disasters affect individuals and groups in different ways. Ask yourself who is likely to be most vulnerable. You might choose to focus on women, children, older people, the disabled or people from lower castes in a society. Think about how livelihoods have been affected.
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