So often government meetings are written off by reporters as mundane and unimportant. While many of these meetings can be tedious, they are where actual actions are taken that will ultimately affect the reporter’s readers, citizens.
The task of covering government takes hard work, patience and can often be lackluster. But its the lackluster moments, that provide in-depth understanding of the structure of power, that lead to the biggest and most important stories overall.
There are several key concepts and practices that apply to covering government at not only a local, but national level. Dr. Killenberg references the Tampa Tribune reporter Mark Davis. Davis says “tell the news of government through the people.”
This is an important piece of advice, because if the reporter thinks their story is boring, the reader will probably think the same and take little of the information in. With government stories their must be a vehicle made of flesh in blood in order for the story to communicate how this will affect citizens.
Also important to understanding and writing a good governmental story, is understanding the language, or rather being able to see through what Dr. Killenberg calls governmentese. Politicians are good at talking in political double talk. They are highly trained professionals at this game. Their job is not to communicate what is going on to the reporter, but rather to convince you and the public that what they’re saying is not only correct but is best for the citizen.
Since most of what decides policy and legislation occurs largely away from public view, it is the reporters job to function in this reality and decipher it for their readers. This isn’t easy.
From day one of journalism school, students are taught to include the 5 w’s in their stories. For covering local government, there is a different set of 5 w’s, and knowing it through and through is crucial to that reporter’s success covering that beat. What is the city’s history? Who the people are that live there? What is happening with development? What are the conditions of the city’s infrastructure? What amenities or services are available? And who are the political, economical and social power brokers for that city?
These factors will give the reporter a more accurate sense of the climate in which they are working and what the issues are.
Dually important is getting to know everyone in that city, from union leaders, to city hall secretaries and powerful local religious leaders. Get out and get to know your city. Have coffee with the city manager’s administrative assistant. Make friends with the ladies and gentleman at the circuit courts. More importantly, contact these people when you don’t need a quote as much as when you do.
Then get to know the local power tier. If the city is a major-council structure, find out if the mayor is a weak or strong leader? If they are weak, they will likely be coerced by the council to make decisions.
If it is a city manager-council structure, often the power will lie entirely in the hands of the city manager. More often than not, city government officials have day jobs outside of their duties to the city. A city manager typically doesn’t and therefore will hold more cards as to what happens in that city.
Understand what role the private sector plays in that local government. Cities always have contracts with the private sector, but often the public just doesn’t know about it. Walmart is reference in our text, and is very appropriate for the Florida landscape. Numerous Walmart super-centers have been built in small towns, putting local business owners out and the town didn’t even know what was happening. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, the private sector moguls were talking redevelopment with city officials. It is our job as journalists to let the people know what is going on their city and how it will affect them.
But until a reporter has mapped out the power structure of a city, leaving the government halls and meetings is crucial to knowing what is going on. As Dr. Killenberg says in the text, “leave city hall and visit the neighborhoods,” this is so important! Talking to people in that community will give you a sense of what the important issues are. That way it is easier to read whether those concerns are being addressed by those citizens elected officials.
