Another election year. Another campaign to cover. And you re wondering how to make your coverage better this time around. Are there new ideas and strategies that will make it stand out? What questions should you be asking as you plan for 1996?
Find answers in "The Poynter Election Handbook: New Ways to Cover Campaigns". It's a practical guide, designed for use on the front lines by editors, news directors, producers and reporters involved in covering political campaigns. And its goal is simple: to help you put citizens first as you cover the candidates who want to represent them.
This approach to campaign coverage is based on the notion that coverage improves if citizens have a role in deciding what information they need to carry out their responsibilities in a democratic society. It means letting citizens help to set the agenda, and then making sure the candidates deal with the issues on that agenda.
This handbook offers some general guidelines for doing citizen-based election coverage. There's a checklist to help you plan ahead. There are specific story ideas, drawn from the work of news organizations across the country, big and small, print and broadcast. And there s a resource section that will help you find even more information.
To order a hard copy of the handbook, send a check for $7.50 to The Poynter Institute, 801 Third Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701. Bulk discounts are available. For more information call (813) 821-9494 or e-mail election@poynter.org.