Do’s And Don’ts From Reuters

For reporters, producers, photographers, and managers who staff broadcast newsrooms in Wisconsin, the job does not involve daily coverage of the actions of our national government. Once in a while we may be tasked to cover a federal government official who’s visiting the state, a candidate for national office, and our state’s Washington delegation. We may be sent to cover a national political convention or inauguration.

Our day-to-day coverage usually expands not too far from our city of license, nearly always inside our market area. But we are often tasked with covering the actions of our municipal leaders and the state legislators from our area. Increasingly, particularly at the state level, it’s become more challenging to know what government is doing. The openness and transparency promised by our state’s landmark Open Meetings and Open Records law has been challenged for the past decade or more.

Here are some thoughts from the international news agency Reuters, regarding their efforts to cover the new administration in Washington. But there are plenty of useful tips that can be applied to our daily coverage of news in our market.

Posted by Tim Morrissey