Covering meetings

Think effect

• Avoid the mentality of writing for your sources.
• Think effect. Think of the people outside the meeting room. The effect that comes out of the meeting is more important than the event of the meeting.
• Issues develop before the meeting. Stay on top of them. Deadline stories rarely do justice to the full story.
• Write for your audience, not for your sources.

• Who, besides the participants, cares about this?
• Why do they care? Why should they care?
• What do they know about the issue?
• What will it take for readers to understand the issue?
• What information do they need to take action?

• What are the lines of authority?
• What are the powers of this board? What is it not permitted to do? Why?
• Draw a diagram of the offices covered by the board. Where do the comments or complaints come from? Where do they go? Who has final approval?
• Where does this board get its authority? Are the members elected? Appointed?
• How do the members serve? Elected terms? At the pleasure of a higher official? Appointed terms?
• What constituency does the board serve? What constituencies do the members serve? Neighborhoods? Special interests?
• Who are the members? Get their home and work phones. Line up photos. Know where they work, what they do for a living, where they are from, what schools they went to, what party they belong to, what their board history is.
• Know the people who can provide information. Know what kind of information they can give you. Know what they are required to give you. Know what else they are willing to give you.
• Don’t forget the second and third levels. Don’t forget the secretaries, solicitors, administrators, janitors, engineers, budget people and bus drivers.
• Evaluate your sources. Don’t play favorites. Learn their motives. Force yourself to approach the "mean man" as well as the "nice lady."
• Know the deference pyramid. Do others defer to someone because of his or her power, or because of senior status? Know who sits highest on the pyramid. For example, most school employees are more concerned with what the superintendent thinks than what board members do. However, the superintendent must keep a careful watch on the board.
• Know the important documents. Get a copy. Read them.
• Make sure all of the meetings are on your calendar.
• Maintain your own 30-day, 12-month tickler file.
• Know how to define important terms and concepts. Work on the wording ahead of time.
• Know when and where notices are posted. Know where bids are advertised. Read them.
• Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions.
• Know the fiscal year. Not all government bodies operate on the same fiscal year.
• Know the planning documents.
• Know where the money comes from and when. Know what the board wants and what it gets. Know why.
• Know the borrowing background of the board. Know the borrowing cycle. Read the bond prospectus.
• Know the rhythms of the board’s calendar. A school board, for example, works on the budget during one part of the year but reassigns principals at another time.
• Watch for trends.
• Know the alliances among the board members. Watch for new ones forming. Know who works closely with the administrator and who doesn’t.

• Learn the physical territory. If the board is discussing an intersection or a school building, go there. See it. Talk to the people directly affected. It is this level that provides the best real-people angles and mainstreaming opportunities.
• Get a copy of the agenda.
• Read the handouts carefully.
• Attend study sessions.
• Conduct pre-meeting interviews. Determine what’s at stake.
• Discuss the meeting coverage with your editor.
• In the advance story, tell readers what’s at stake, why it is important. Tell readers where it is, how to get there, etc.
• Provide B copy. Arrange a photograph if necessary.

• Go early. Read the crowd.
• Get the names of all speakers.
• If you are new to a board and don’t know the members, draw a diagram of the seating arrangements. Get the names later. Don’t trust the nametags.
• Listen for good quotes.
• Find an expert to help you understand technical questions. Get the expert to explain it to you in terms you and yours readers understand.
• Don’t just get the speakers. Talk to some of the silent people.
• Notify the editor if the meeting is delayed, or the news takes an unexpected turn.

• Get to the heart of the story. Quickly tell readers the effect.
• Tell readers the effect in their language. Tell them what it means in their words. Tell them what the action will cost them in money, in time, in service, in convenience.
• Avoid process language. Tell it to the readers straight.
• Use graphics. Separate material into boxes if that will help readers understand. Use background, bio or "what’s next" boxes.
• Double check names in photo captions.
• Tell the human story. Get to the heart of the fight. Show who wins, who loses.
• Use specific detail if possible. How long did the meeting last? What was the atmosphere? Were people loud, quiet, friendly, hostile? Show it rather than telling it.
• Keep thinking of the world outside the meeting room.

• Talk with your editor and others about trends, spending habits, or politics.
• Compare notes.
• Spin the issue forward. What needs to be reported after or beyond the meeting?