We at Lookout Landing live under the banner of “service journalism.” Something I ask the staff to consider in writing their articles is “does this inform, enlighten, or entertain?” And “what is the value-add in asking people to spend time reading this article as opposed to doing something else?” And, crucially: “Who does this help, and how?”
Sometimes the answer to that is clear—recapping a day game on the east coast when many people are at work, for example—and many times, it feels good to provide this sort of service. Other times, though, it means “consider this question that most of the fanbase would like to think about, even if it’s not something you think is interesting, or possible, or helpful.