Is long-form investigative writing dead?

Last night, I had the opportunity to sit down with my editor to discuss a special report that I’ve been working on for months. I submitted the first draft—to her horror—a three-part story, each having 4,000-4,500 words (roughly 6-8 pages). 

It’s too much, I know. For online, my usual limit at stories is 4 pages (2,000 words) but I haven’t written a special report in a while and I have tons of data. If you grew up in an investigative media organization like Newsbreak, honed by editors with JVOs, then you’re used to churning out 6-8 pages for a special/investigative report.

But times are changing. News magazine is dying and online is all the rave nowadays. The quicker the read, the better. But you see, my sensibilities seem to have stagnated—reading short pieces make me feel deprived. I want ‘em long and overflowing with insights and figures and dynamics. Skimming just isn’t my cup of tea.

So as Ms Chay relayed the usual statistics they get over stories, the reading patters, trends, and whatnots, I couldn’t help but ask: Is long-form writing dead? Can we not read the same lengthy meaty investigative reports that are full of the most amazing turns of phrases?

No, she said. As figures also indicate that there are still readers who read through Part 1 to Part 7 (yes, it reached that point because a normal online long article should contain 1,500 words only) but these people are limited and the hits they generate do not place said article in the Top 5 most-read stories in a month, maybe even in a year. 

“But long from is still alive,” she said. She hopes.

But really, is it?

For international news sites, its up and well. But locally, it’s obviously struggling. Because how else can you explain why a material that should have been written in 3 parts gets spread into seven, maybe even eight parts? I mean, could you read a story on the same theme for a whole week?

But then again, you have soap opera. Shown every day, for 30 minutes. 

Yeah, I figured. Maybe long-form article packaged as short-form can work.

This had me harking back to my travel magazine days when 1,500 is common for a full-length travel feature article. Actually, the standard is 1,800 for a major destination (the ones that are placed on the cover). 

The longest I’ve written was for an international publication: 2,600 words or a whopping 5-6 pages for a special report on surfing. (She said it’d fill 7 pages so I know that in reality, she only needs 1,800 words. I didn’t say anything… it was my first feature story for them.)

But surrounding said long-form articles are stories that range from 150 words to 800 words. The most common is 1,200. So on paper, I can easily gauge a material. I’d know if my editor is pulling my leg when she asks for 500 words because if I see the sample layout and it covers half the page, I’d know I only need to churn out 150. Na-ah, there are pictures, remember? And the layout had to be pleasant and charming without screaming for attention. 

So why does my magazine upbringing matter when it comes to the special report that I’m doing for an online news site? 

Well...I have to imagine how my article would come out when it’s laid out—no, not as a spread but as one long scroll. Because 1,500 words aren’t so bad… it’s 3-4 pages on Word; with pictures, videos, and graphics, it can extend to 5-6 pages. So 1,500 words is surprisingly a good length to work with for a special report. 

No more beating around the bush ala feature writing. Get the right verbs, make the paragraphs succinct, deliver the ideas straight to the point. The turns of phrases, after all, aren’t based on length, it's based on writing style and quality. 

Yeah, maybe long-form isn’t dead—we really cannot tell unless it's buried ten meters deep—and maybe, it’s still finding stable ground after the great move from paper to screen.

So after rewriting my three-part series, it has now extended to seven parts, with each piece ranging from 1,200 to 1,500 words. I kinda like how they read better, crisper now. I guess it doesn’t matter how long or short the article is. If one loves writing, it will show.