Types of Election Stories

The Challenge

To make election stories interesting, useful and relevant to voters.

 

The Means

Focus on not only the candidates, but also the issues that they may or may not be talking about, issues that are important to citizens and the position the candidates are seeking.

 

The Who

It is not only the large elections  - for president , mayor, etc., , but also the “smaller” elections of council representatives, school board members, etc., that are important. Their decisions have a huge effect on our daily lives because they are about local schools, local roads, buildings, growth, zoning — how tax dollars are spent and how we live our daily lives.

 

The How

1.      Find out as much about the candidates who are running as you can. Check all available records and talk to people who know them or worked with them.

2.     Find out about the issues that are important to voters. If the candidates aren’t talking about those issues, then you as a journalist need to bring them up and try to get the candidates to respond.

            If you don’t know what those issues are, then do some polling, organize a town hall meeting  or just go to places where people gather and ask them what they’d like to see happen in their community.

3.      Do a story about why some people don’t vote. Find out which parts of town have higher voter turnout and get  experts to talk about why

4.      Ask candidates off-topic questions like “What is your favorite book?” “Your most humbling moment?” Compare and contrast on any number of facts or interesting tidbits about their lives. Package with a basic candidate profile.

5.      Bring in opposing candidates for editorial board interviews and endorsements, either separately, or all those in the same race together for a face off. Write about their interaction.