Since stories about the future are about might what
might happen, not what has happened, they don’t exactly fall into the
who/what/when/where/why categories journalists usually aim for. But what
such stories must lack in facts, they make up for in:
1. Importance - Helping people make serious decisions
about their lives, health, career, investments
2. Conflict - Change always creates winners and
losers and both sides can debate through dueling quotes or on-air exchanges
3. Revelations - Stories
about the future usually reflect a problem in the present
4. Entertainment - Providing
a dose of fantasy and escape from the bad news of the day
5. Comfort – The devil you
know is better than the devil you don’t, so even negative predictions provide a
sense of control, reducing fear of the unknown
