The Axle: I would do a story on Britney Spear’s conservatorship. This topic is not widely discussed in the Hollywood industry, despite how frequently they take place. Britney Spears’ conservatorship has been all over the news lately with new details developing each day. Her conservatorship restricted her from many human rights like the ability to get engaged, have children, leave her house, etc. Her father, Jaime Spears, is in charge of the conservatorship and recently announced he filed to end the court-appointed arrangement on Tuesday. The central idea of this story would discuss the details of Spears’ conservatorship and the dark side of these contracts.
Riders: While I wouldn’t be able to get into contact with Spears, I would interview people who are seasoned on the topic. First, I would get into contact with a special needs attorney who handles these types of cases. There are a few in State College that I could get into contact with. Next, I would speak with someone who has knowledge on Spears’ conservatorship and her life. Back in March of 2020, Weirdoughs Pizzeria in downtown State College held a “Free Britney Day” after being inspired by Hulu’s Framing Britney documentary. Weirdoughs owner, Jospeh Boss, said he held the event to spread awareness for Spears’ and others in her situation. I would speak with him to get perspective on the topic and hear about his experience with running an awareness event.
Spokes: I would use video and voice footage from Britney’s court hearing. In this hearing she discusses the details of her conservatorship. For natural sound I would use clips from people downtown. I could use this over the clips explaining Joseph Boss his event to bring awareness to the issue. I would use clips of Boss in the restaurant, him walking around downtown, and clips from the event in March. I would include video clips of Britney Spears at the court hearing and her speaking with the press and addressing her social media platforms about the conservatorship.
Rim: To conclude the story, I would go over the dangers of conservatorships and how they can be easily abused. I would discuss the new details of the case by explaining how Britney is taking to social media to talk to her fans about updates. I would also discuss how so much attention has been brought to this case due to social media and the dedication of her fans. #FreeBritney has been trending weekly as new updates surface.
I believe this story would resonate well with students at Penn State and Gen-Z and Millennials. By including Joseph Boss in the piece, it also brings a sense of community, discussing how people at home can help with issues like this.