Library: How-To Tips: Working with the media
- Encouraging people to participate, and aiding the recruitment effort in other ways;
- Endorsing the project;
- Ensuring that their coverage of the issue or decision being addressed is timed so that the articles can be used to inform the discussions;
- Extending their coverage so that it becomes part of the project itself — providing participants with background information, describing the main views or policy options, or illustrating some of the more common action ideas;
- Summarizing the recommendations and action ideas that emerge from the project;
- Informing participants in one neighborhood council or discussion group about the concerns raised and conclusions reached by participants in other parts of the city.
Some newspapers have been key partners in democratic governance projects, and a few have even initiated these kinds of efforts by themselves. In some places, television and radio stations have also endorsed and given coverage to these efforts. In justifying their support for democratic governance, editors and news directors often cite their journalistic responsibility to generate and enrich public dialogue. Others point out that when people take a strong interest in local issues and decisions, they are more likely to read the local newspaper and pay attention to the local news.
Media roles in democratic governance
- As part of the "Portsmouth Listens" project on growth and planning in that New Hampshire city, the Portsmouth Herald produced and published a report summarizing the conclusions reached by the participants.
- To give participants at the city's Education Summit a better sense of the challenges facing the school system, the Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator published a series of articles covering some of the main issues.
- A consortium of radio stations in upstate New York devoted substantial coverage to the "Balancing Justice in New York State" project on corrections policy, airing excerpts from some of the small-group discussions.
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution helped recruit citizens for a project initiated by the Centers for Disease Control on how to prepare for a flu pandemic. The paper drew on its email distribution list of readers who want to be more involved in public issues.
On the other hand, journalists also have a responsibility to be independent "watchdogs" for the community. That is why some editors and reporters shy away from supporting democratic governance efforts — they feel that their affiliation with a project would prevent them from covering it objectively. Even when journalists give their support for a project, you cannot assume that they will be giving any kind of immunity to the people initiating in the effort.
When looking for allies, the major daily newspaper, radio station, or television station may be at the top of your list. But there are probably other media outlets which can help you reach particular audiences. Don't forget "ethnic" newspapers and radio stations, weekly newspapers, and community access television.
- Ensure that several other community organizations have signed on first — this sends the message that your democratic governance effort already has a broad base of support, and does not merely reflect the agenda of local government;
- When meeting with journalists, describe the ways that media outlets in other communities have supported democratic governance (see box);
- Ask journalists to be a supporting partner to the project – talk about the potential roles listed above;
- Make it clear that you expect them to be constructive critics of the project, and of local government's work on this issue.
[Excerpted from Changing the Way We Govern: Building Democratic Governance in Your Community, National League of Cities Democratic Governance Panel, 2006.]