Weight loss and obesity stories are a pillar of health journalism and a flashpoint for reader interest, but they have been so thoroughly covered by local and national stories that they generally only hit the headlines when new treatments or alarming obesity statistics bubble up to the fore.
Photo by bookgrl via FlickrWith that in mind, we bring you The (Raleigh, N.C.,) News & Observer‘s “Frontiers of Fat” series, which brings together the personal weight-loss perspectives of readers and reporters and up-to-date reporting that explores the current state of nutrition research. By adding local voices and centering the whole thing around a New Year’s Day kickoff, the newspaper created a way to get back to the fundamentals of the nutrition discussion while still creating something newsworthy and relevant.
Speaking of relevance, the newspaper is keeping momentum of the series going with updates on both its staff and reader-contributed weight loss blogs, accompanied by timely yet context-rich news stories. On the landing page, the updates are accompanied by interactive components like a calorie counter and a BMI calculator.
The series also snagged Associated Press Managing Editor’s Innovator of the Month honors for March.
