Homelessness in America: Media Handbook

Date: 9 Jan 2007

Author: National Alliance to End Homelessness

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Homelessness is one of our nation’s most misunderstood and vexing social problems. Because homelessness is complex, it is often difficult for the media to cover the issue with the background and nuance necessary to capture the full picture, particularly for stories that are time sensitive. Events that affect individuals or families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness may arise quickly and require immediate action to track down background, relevant sources, and experts. Quantitative data are often disjointed, expansive, or difficult to find and process in a short amount of time.

This guide aims to streamline this process by providing context and reliable sources for reporters to access quickly. The goal of this guide is to stimulate thoughtful and insightful reporting on a population that is often poorly understood. While typical stories on homelessness often involve local panhandling ordinances or deaths of homeless people caused by extreme weather—valued coverage that brings attention to the issue—these stories can be developed further into examinations of what strategies are effective in ending homelessness, how communities can better address the needs of their homeless population, or how future homelessness can be prevented. In this guide, we present homelessness issues by population. We hope that by providing quick facts, background, and a listing of the most knowledgeable experts, more enriching and informative reporting will result.