Do it Right Tonight
/
I implore local stations that when you cover tonight's results, do it right and try your damnedest to earn back some respect.
I would ask the cable news stations to do the same, but that ship sailed a long time ago.
Speaking of cable news, DO NOT use them in your newsroom for information. Do NOT report that "CNN projects" or "Fox News projects." You're viewers don't trust them and you shouldn't either. Stick with the AP and other sources that are more trustworthy.
The cable news networks want nothing more than a close race and no matter what, they will try to make this a nail-biter just to try and get ratings.
Media research company CJ&N have posted a few good pieces of advice for covering the election.
Social Media – As with all breaking news these days, social media will dominate. Not only will information show up on social media first, but so will reaction from followers, friends and family. Have your voice be robust tomorrow. Don’t just post, engage. Be the source for facts and jump in to dispute rumor.
Being first is great; being right is better – News people are by nature competitive. On a night when there is so much information flowing, and so many places to turn on-air and online, don’t get caught up in beating team X by thirty seconds. Make sure the facts are right, the push alerts worded correctly and you aren’t spending the next week apologizing for dumb errors.
s it fair? As people cast ballots, you need to report on the rules and any attempts to wrongly influence voting. You also need to report when it’s going right. A sizable portion of voters are suspicious of the process. Be the public watchdog on fairness issues.
Numbers vs. Stories – Television must provide numbers, but as a medium it excels at telling stories. Your televised coverage should focus on the story of the election in your area, complete with lots of people and the emotion attached to the vote. Are people hurt, angry, scared? It’s more about the electorate than just the people who show up at victory parties.
Good luck, stay on point and don't get wrapped up in the hype.
