8 Tips on Case Studies to Secure Coverage

What reporters look for when assessing a potential case study

Steph Spyro is the founder of Off the Record

Fishermen and farmers have long been some of my favourite people to interview. Without fail, every single one I’ve spoken to has been punchy and passionate. There’s never any mincing of words (a journalist’s dream). Due to the nature of their jobs, it’s always made for great pictures. I guess that is a pretty good summary of what makes the perfect case study.

These real-life stories of an individual or a group is a vital tool in a reporter’s arsenal to illustrate a broader issue or trend. I’m biased, of course, but I think it’s something the Daily Express does brilliantly. As a tabloid, we have a knack for taking nitty gritty topics and “humanising” them, often with the help of case studies.

These human features also provide evidence. Policies, statistics and trends can often feel abstract. A well-chosen case study turns those abstractions into something tangible. It answers the question every reader is asking: What does this actually mean for someone like me?

The government’s inheritance tax raid on farmers, which the Daily Express led the calls for U-turn on over 18 months, was a perfect example of the power of case studies. Families spelling out the real-world impact of the tax policy changes were brilliant to showcase what the effect of the policy changes would be. As for that U-turn? It did eventually come one sudden December day last year.

Some case studies sit beside a main article while others sit as solo stories. The answer to which road a news editor chooses to go down is not simple. It depends on the issue, the relevance of it to the publication’s audience and the strength of the story/interview. The farmers were such a key campaign for the paper that we often highlighted powerful case studies as individual stories across the paper and even as our front page articles. But, more often than not, you’ll see them featured beside the main news story.

The Daily Express’s front page on 14 January 2025

Before I get into my top tips for things that make the best case studies, I would point out that some media outlets use them more than others. It is always worth offering one up if you have the access to people willing to speak.

So, now, what are case study essentials? The things that are non-negotiable? The things that make a journalist more likely to use a case study?