Reaching the audience

I read an interesting piece on NPR today about how journalists should handle offers of help from readers and listeners who are touched by a particularly moving story. The article says there are often no definite guidelines present at most news organizations.

The point of telling stories is to make change or get people motivated. It seems odd that we don't have set methods for dealing with our success. We find ways to deal with them, because we are humans and we want to help. But, as the article points out, we can't be responsible for funneling that help to people, and we can't accept donations on behalf of others. It goes against our rule of remaining the observing party.

CNN maintains a Web site designed to guide people to charitable organizations that accept donations which CNN has done stories about. It doesn't solve everything, especially since you may want to help one particular family and the links go to major organizations, but it is a start.