I feel like a lot of folks get swept up in the "best practice wave" where it's always best to go by what the elite programmers say. Here's my opinion.
It seems like what you want (and are using) is the Observer pattern. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_pattern#PHP.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.