Seminar explores how to cover state
and federal governments from afar
Technology has made it possible to cover state and federal
governments without having reporters based in state capitals
or Washington, and there are plenty of opportunities to
cover politicians at both levels, 20 journalists from seven
states were told last weekend at "Bringing the Capitals
to Your Community," a two-day conference in Somerset,
Ky.
The conference, at the Center for Rural Development, was
presented by the Institute for Rural Journalism
and Community Issues, the National Press
Foundation and the Kiplinger Program in
Public Affairs Journalism of The Ohio State University.
It was underwritten by the Institute for Rural Journalism
and Community Issues (with major support from the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
and additional support from the Ford Foundation)
and the Chicago Tribune Foundation.
The event was "groundbreaking exercise for both the
presenters and the attendees," half of whom were from
weekly newspapers, said Al Cross, director of the Institute.
"Few programs like this are designed for journalists
at the community level. We hope further such conferences
will enrich and expand the news that community journalists
bring to their readers, listeners and viewers."
NPF Programs Director Nolan Walters agreed: "I can't
think of any other seminar that's had this focus or this
target audience and I think it's a wonderful opportunity
for everyone, not just for the journalists but also for
the journalism educators who want to reach out to a new
audience." Kiplinger Program Director Debra Jasper
said, ""We had a terrific group of journalists
in attendance. We all learned a great deal from each other,
shared a tremendous amount of information and can't wait
to do it again in 2006."
Friday's session focused on how small-market journalists
can have a statewide impact by using on-line and state and
federal resources to write about politics, the environment,
education, and social issues. Jasper shared tips on the
best ways to find compelling stories about some of the most
vulnerable people in rural communities, including the mentally
ill and mentally retarded, foster care kids, and medically
fragile children.
Jasper and Cross encouraged the journalists to talk honestly
about the issues they face as rural reporters. Several shared
stories about the conflicts that arise in small towns where
everyone knows each other, as well as how difficult it can
be to convince U.S. senators and other federal officials
to return phone calls.
Clint Brewer, editor of the Lebanon (Tenn.)
Democrat, told the journalists that they can cover
statewide politics and legislative sessions even without
reporters in the capital. He recommended they write at
least one issue story each week during the legislative session,
and collect political tidbits into a briefs column. He also
offered suggestions for covering local environmental stories.
Other speakers included: Chuck Wolfe, spokesman for the
Kentucky Cabinet for Environment and Public Protection
and a former Associated Press writer;
Brad Hughes, a former reporter who is now communications
director for the Kentucky School Boards Association;
David Greer and John Whitlock, with the Kentucky
Press Association’s unique state-capital
news bureau; Al Smith, host of Kentucky Educational
Television's "Comment on Kentucky," former
weekly publisher in Kentucky and Tennessee, and former federal
co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission;
and Alan Lowe, with the University of Tennessee's Howard
H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.
Lowe wrapped up the day's session by engaging journalists
in a thought-provoking discussion about whether they view
themselves as watchdogs or attack dogs; how they cover controversial
community issues; how they handle political endorsements,
and how they deal with anonymous sources.
Initial responses by the attendees were overwhelmingly
positive. "This course has inspired me to pay more
attention to my newspaper's government coverage -- something
I wasn't much interested in before," said Anne Adams,
a reporter for The Recorder, a weekly newspaper
in Monterey, Va. "I hope other journalists will take
advantage of this kind of discourse."
Greg Johns of the Courier-News in Clinton,
Tenn., said the conference was "well worth the time
and trip." That was echoed by James Mulcahy, of the
Sentinel-News in Shelbyville, Ky., who
said it was"well worth the time invested." Several
attendees said the conference was particularly useful in
helping them navigate complicated Web sites featuring local,
state and federal data. ""It had a great deal
of relevant information that I think I'll be able to incorporate
into my stories," said Kristin Taylor of the Murray
(Ky.) Ledger and Times. "The
information was terrific, providing numerous resources which
cover a lot of ground," said Ronnie Ellis of the Glasgow
(Ky.) Daily Times.
On Saturday, the National Press Foundation presented "Opening
Washington's File Cabinet." The sessions offered resources
for examining federal agencies, tracking businesses and
covering natural disasters and public safety. James Carroll,
Washington correspondent for The (Louisville)
Courier-Journal and Patricia Edmonds, former head
of online news operations at National Public Radio
and a former reporter for USA Today, explored
the best ways to find data on everything from school-bus
accidents to non-profit organizations. The Foundation also
gave reporters a profile of government agencies in Washington
as well as "A Guide to Statehouse Reporting,"
a book funded by the Association of Capitol Reporters
and Editors (since renamed CapitolBeat)
and the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of the
Society of Professional Journalists.