Professional Feature Writing Bruce Garrison(3)

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.�Examples�of�these�publications�include�California's�RV�Business,�published�for�the�recreational�vehicle�(RV)�industry,�and�New�York's�Destinations,�published�for�charter�motorcoach�tour�planners�and�operators.Online�travel�information�has�also�grown�in�large�amounts�in�the�past�several�years.�This�has�led�to�demand�for�new�and�updated�travel�features�by�both�freelancers�and�staff�writers.�Much�of�the�growth�has�taken�place�on�the�WWW.�Not�only�are�there�destination�sites�hosted�by�travel�based�businesses�(e.g.,�hotels,�resorts,�airlines,�rental�car�companies,�and�restaurants),�chambers�of�commerce,�attractions,�and�other�organizations�and�commercial�enterprises,�but�there�are�also�travel�reference�materials,�maps,�listings,�and�other�information�provided�by�online�travel�publications.�Some�traditional�print�publications�produce�online�Web�sites�to�meet�the�interests�of�travelers�in�their�region.�For�example,�the�Knoxville�News�Sentinel�in�Tennessee�provides�a�free�Web�site�(http://www.gosmokies.com)�for�information�about�the�busiest�national�park�in�the�nation,�the�Great�Smoky�Mountains�National�Park,�which�is�located�near�Knoxville.These�days,�consumers�turn�to�the�news�media�for�help�in�making�travel�planning�decisions.�A�major�purchase,�such�as�a�vacation�package,�requires�the�traveler�to�gain�the�expertise�to�make�the�proper�decisions.�Airline�deregulation�has�made�a�quagmire�of�airline�routes,�service,�and�ticket�prices.�Ground�travel�is�no�different.�Unpredictable�weather�and�often�wildly�fluctuating�gasoline�prices�constantly�affect�automobile�travelers,�for�example.�Thus,�a�good�travel�feature�can�make�a�difference�as�readers�turn�to�their�favorite�newspapers,�magazines,�newsletters,�or�online�publications�for�assistance.�Travel�writing,�then,�can�include�an�element�of�consumer�reporting.�One�dis�Page�296tinction,�journalism�professor�and�former�Miami�Herald�travel�editor�Alan�Prince�(1998,�personal�communication)�recently�noted,�is�that�the�you�must�be�honest�with�readers:The�reader�who�is�stimulated�by�a�travel�writer's�destination�piece�doesn't�return�home�with�a�computer�or�a�television�set.�Instead,�he�or�she's�got�an�airline�ticket�stub,�photographs,�and�souvenirs,�and,�most�of�all,�memories.�That's�not�a�lot�considering�today's�cost�of�travel.�The�reader�should�understand�that�he�is�paying�money�for�an�experience,�not�for�an�appliance.�Henry�David�Thoreau�wrote,�"It�is�not�worthwhile�to�go�around�the�world�to�count�the�cats�in�Zanzibar."�Both�the�travel�writer�and�the�traveler�must�understand�that.For�some�5,000�years�of�recorded�history,�the�only�way�humankind�could�travel�faster�than�on�a�horse�was�to�fall�out�of�a�tree.�And�most�people�stayed�close�to�home.�Today,�people�travel�to�distant�areas�in�a�matter�of�a�few�hours and�that�means�the�travel�writer�faces�a�credibility�standard.�The�thousands�who�have�visited�a�place�before�the�travel�writer�gets�there�set�the�standard.�The�travel�writer�must�realize�that�in�his�or�her�mass�audience�there�are�many�readers�who�know�more�about�the�place�than�the�travel�writer�can�learn�in�a�brief�visit.�There's�no�way�the�writer�can�pull�the�wool�over�these�readers'�eyes.�He�can't�fake�it�and�keep�his�credibility.�It's�that�simple.�The�other�share�of�your�audience those�who�haven't�been�there might�someday�go.�And�if�they�find�the�destination�to�be�quite�different�from�what�the�travel�writer�has�pictured,�they�will�never�again�believe or�will�always�be�skeptical�of anything�that�travel�writer�ever�writes.It's�a�matter�of�trust.Travel�writers,�especially�those�who�are�on�newspaper�staffs,�don't�have�the�luxury�of�spending�weeks�in�a�destination.�Two�to�4�days�are�more�likely,�and�that's�hardly�enough�time�to�get�to�know�the�place especially�when�you're�supposed�to�be�an�expert�when�you�leave.There's�no�question�in�my�mind�that�the�most�important�element�in�competent�travel�writing�is�"knowing�the�place"�before�you�get�there.�You�can�accomplish�this�by�reading�anything�and�everything�you�can�get�your�hands�on.�A�reporter�doesn't�begin�an�interview�with�a�celebrity�by�asking�how�the�celebrity�spells�his�or�her�name.�The�reporter�already�knows�that�and,�one�hopes,�aPage�297lot�more�about�the�celebrity.�The�same�principle�applies�to�doing�a�destination�piece.�Otherwise,�the�destination�piece�is�going�to�be�awfully�"thin,"�and�that�just�isn't�good�travel�writing.HONORING�THE�TOP�TRAVEL�SECTIONS�IN�THE�NATIONWhich�newspapers�offer�the�best�travel�sections?�The�best�ones�are�always�worth�the�time�to�check�out.In�1997,�the�Boston�Globe,�St.�Petersburg�Times,�and�Contra�Costa�Newspapers�in�California�were�honored�for�best�newspaper�travel�section�of�1996�in�the�13th�annual�Society�of�American�Travel�Writers�Foundation�Lowell�Thomas�Travel�Journalism�Competition [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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