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Letter from the Editor Dear Reader, I usually don’t have our journalists working on Sunday, let alone have them at my house. But this past weekend, there was Emily Lawler right in my living room, telling a story that had me wanting more.
Lawler, lead political reporter on our statewide reporting team, is onto a fantastic investigative project about a family-run business out of Lansing that has been the target of enforcement actions by attorneys general and lawsuits in 20 states across the country.
Her oral telling of the story will pull you in, just as it did me. Here’s the first spoiler: She wasn’t physically in my living room. She visited via MLive’s new podcast, “Mandatory."
“I’m not a podcaster,” Lawler intones at the beginning of Episode 1. And the story didn’t start out intended as a podcast, she said.
“When I thought about all the information I was gathering and all the pieces and how it fit together, it started to look like one of those like conspiracy theory boards – like, the red lines going everywhere,” Lawler said with a laugh.
“I would come home and tell my husband about it, and I would think, ‘Wow, this is so much better when I'm explaining it to someone. If I had to write this down, it would be a 3,000-word story.’”
Journalists are taught to write in a style called “inverted pyramid” – we put the most important information and main points at the top, and the less essential details below. The practice came about because it made it easier for copy editors to trim stories from the bottom on deadline without cutting out the key elements.
However, that’s not ideal for telling me something orally. I mean, if my house is on fire, lead with that information, please. But if you want to impart a funny story about your weekend, sit down with me and let it unfold.
And that’s exactly what “Mandatory” does over four episodes, the first of which MLive posted on Monday; it will continue with one episode each of the next three Mondays. Anyone who listened to “Serial,” the famous NPR murder mystery podcast, or who watches “20/20” or “Dateline” on TV, will recognize a familiar feel to how Lawler’s podcast unfolds.
“I'm a huge mystery book reader,” Lawler said, “so I like to leave you with a little bit of a clue about what comes next, leave you on the edge of your seat. But, not so much that you'll be mad at me for a whole week.”
A great journalistic story is a great story, no matter what. But just as video brings different elements into the mix that can enhance the narrative and stir emotions, the nature of a podcast – Emily’s voice, the story being told directly by sources, the use of musical interludes – creates a current that carries you easily along for the ride.
“It’s comforting to listen to Emily – she's a trustworthy journalist, telling you this entire story,” said Jessica Shepherd, an audio producer for MLive who worked with Lawler on the podcast. “But then she (talks to) these everyday people, people you can relate to. And the combination makes you feel so connected to her.”
Since spoilers seem to be coin of the realm in dramatically told stories, I will drop one here: “Mandatory” may run more than four episodes. That’s because Lawler is still working the story, following fresh leads and untangling more of the mystery of the business practices of the family at the center of the story.
“I'm hoping to hear from more people who have been affected by this,” Lawler said. “I know that every business owner in my personal life I’ve explained this to has been like, ‘Oh yeah.’
“So, if I hear enough of that, or if I find some compelling stories, we're certainly open to more episodes.”
Keep digging and keep weaving the tale, Emily. I’m on my couch, waiting for more.
### To hear the more of the story about the Fata brothers’ business enterprise, how Lawler investigated it and turned it into a podcast, and how podcasts open up new avenues for MLive journalists, listen to this episode of the MLive podcast “Behind the Headlines.” Listen to the Mandatory podcast on Spotify here. John Hiner is the vice president of content for MLive Media Group. If you have questions you’d like him to answer, or topics to explore, share your thoughts at editor@mlive.com.
I'm a new HTML block. I'm a new HTML block. Editor's note: I value your feedback to my columns, story tips and your suggestions on how to improve our coverage. Let me know how MLive helps you, and how we can do better. Please feel free to reach out by emailing me at editor@mlive.com.
John Hiner Executive Editor Vice President of Content Mlive Media Group
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