As a journalist, at some point you will probably report on something having to do with politics. After all, politics are woven through our society and affect many aspects of our lives and world. Not only is it important to have background knowledge of political subjects, but also to be familiar with the political structure where you live. And, of course, the ability to remain neutral and report only facts is another very important point when reporting on politics.
Here are six tips for reporting on political subjects.
Know the Game
The most important baseline knowledge that you need is how politics work in your area. What levels of government are there? For example, a city like Salt Lake City, Utah, has a mayor and city council. Each city also has a fire chief, police chief, city attorney, and different boards or commissions. Salt Lake City is located in Salt Lake County. County-level government includes a county mayor, assessor, clerk, auditor, sheriff, treasurer, recorder, district attorney, county council, and surveyor.
Of course, there is also government at the state and federal levels. Salt Lake County is part of the State of Utah. Utah has a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, auditor, senators, a House of Representatives, etc.
At the county and state levels, there are also judicial branches.
The federal level is probably the better-known of them all. However, if you are going to be reporting on a specific state, county, or town, you should be familiar with their levels of government.
Learn the Jargon
There is a lot of political jargon in politics, and knowing what that means is important for your reporting. Any good political journalist, like Mark Halperin, knows that if you don’t speak the language, you won’t sound credible.
The more you read about politics, and the more you talk to people about it, the more familiarized you will become with all of these words. Once you know what they mean, you will more deeply understand all that goes on in the political world. However, a word of caution: it has to be understandable for your audience. If your reader or listening doesn’t understand the jargon, you need to be sure that you do, but then present the information in a way that your audience will comprehend.
Involve Everyone
You can’t investigate and report on the government if you only talk to the politicians. Any good political commentator or reporter, like Mark Halperin, knows that it’s important to get information from as many sources as possible.
Talk not only to elected officials but also to police officers and clerks. They usually have a pretty good idea of what is going on. However, be careful because they are risking their jobs by speaking with you. You should also discuss these things with community members. Politics affect everyone, and so the people on the receiving end of political policy are also extremely important people to have in mind. They’re the ones that will live with these policies and are affected by them in their day-to-day lives!
