Government stories typically overlap a variety of beats, e.g. government financing affects education, zoning decisions affect business, etc. Reporters working in larger newsrooms may cover a specific city or county and everything that happens there. In smaller organizations, one reporter often covers all local government agencies. Typically, the structure of a local government affects how beats are divided. Local government reporters must understand the relationships between local, county, state and federal governmental agencies. State statutes dictate the powers and responsibilities of local governments. According to the U.S. Census, more than 87,000 governmental units operated in the United States in 2002. More than 35,000 comprised special district governments, such as airport authorities. Municipal or city governments totaled slightly more than 19,000, town or townships about 16,500 and county governments comprised about 3,000. Each state differs in setting up local governments. Some have many local government units that spend tax revenues, e.g. city councils or commissions, county commissions, transit authorities or airport authorities. The national average is 27 governmental units per county (1,400 units exist in New York's metropolitan area, 900 exist in San Francisco). A city or county manager or administrator generally oversees day-to-day operations. The elected council, commission or board hires and fires the administrator, who in turn hires and fires department heads. Cities and counties often offer the same services, e.g. libraries, emergency services, parks and recreation. In some instances, cities and counties share responsibilities, e.g. a jointly operated water and sewer system (cf. International City/County Management Association). Generally, cities take responsibility for urban services: law enforcement, fire protection, refuse collection, water and sewer services, and street maintenance and improvement. Counties assume responsibility for area-wide services like health, education and welfare. Local Government States typically have municipal organizations that assist the city or county government, e.g. the Monticello Economic Development Commission. They should be one of the first stops for a reporter trying to learn a beat. The reporter can also check out CapitolImpact as an additional resource. Reporters must know the breadth of local government agencies in their coverage area and what services each government provides. Rather than waste time in city hall trying to find this information, start with the Arkansas Municipal League, which offers a list of online resources to check out. While getting background on the forms of government, reporters should check laws relating to the ethical performance of government officials. Public officials must disclose any situation from which they would benefit, e.g. if rezoning property would affect a city council member's business, it must be disclosed before a vote and the member would abstain during voting. Reporters can examine statistics from the Census of Governments to determine how many municipalities operate within their state. The National League of Cities provides information on demographic changes within cities over the last decade. Cities follow one of four forms of city government: mayor-council (either strong mayor-council or weak mayor-council), council-manager, a commission and sometimes a town meeting. The National Civic League considers the strong mayor-council and council-manager forms to be the most effective.
No matter the form, reporters must be aware of who really holds the power. A manager who serves at the pleasure of the city council might not be as open to a reporter if he or she fears for job security. A mayor facing re-election may seek media attention. So consider the personal agenda of each. Sources Knowing how officials are elected will help reporters determine how responsive the source will be to citizens needs and interests.
A reporter new to the beat can learn a great deal about it from the previous reporter (if possible). The next place to go is the newspaper's morgue to find out what's previously happened on the beat. Earlier coverage provides answers to background on issues. Minutes of meetings, agenda packages that contain reports, and other documents can provide context when reporting issues. Once the reporter knows who's in charge and how the local government works, it's wise to schedule time to meet with each member, the town manager and the department heads (cf. Monticello City Hall). Use the informational sessions to get an assessment of the town, its operations and others who are involved in its operation. Often sources will offer comments on other council members' performance. Tuck that information away for later uses. Reporters should check state statutes and other statewide governmental associations to learn what services each local governmental unit oversees. Traditionally, cities have provided services as streets, water and sewer, law enforcement, fire protection, public transportation, and parks and recreation. Some stories occur annually, e.g. budget, election, back to school, or Founder's Day events. Others surface periodically, e.g. annexations, construction, employee hiring or firing, or long-range planning. Six recurring themes typically occur in city coverage:
Diversity is an issue on any local government beat, especially as the demographics of an area change. County Government Forty-eight of the 50 states have operational county governments, according to the National Association of Counties. Like cities, county government can be organized in many ways. Most operate under a county-manger form of government and a board of commissioners hires the manager and approves the budget. The county as a geographic unite has been a logical choice for certain services and programs. Among the responsibilities:
A board of commissioners might delegate some services to other boards. Sources can include:
Reporters must be sensitive to the relationships between commissioners and managers, managers and department heads, department heads and employees, commissioners and the voters, etc. Commissioners often feel they must be responsive to the public, while managers feel responsible to the board that hired them. Issues include increasing financial pressures, federal legislation that affects county business (e.g. Homeland Security Act), state legislation or mandates that affect county business (e.g. Clean Skies and Clean Air acts fall on the counties to fulfill obligations), increased growth and the impact on services. Planning and zoning affects all aspects of local government. Even though a new business arrives, the county will not collect revenues until it is up and running. Development of farmland and forests put pressure on local governments to determine what type of growth is needed and how to avoid environmental damage. Zoning classifications include R for residential development, O-I for office or institutional, C for commercial, etc. Talk with the planning department head to find out exactly how your beat covers zoning. Re-zoning proves to be an emotional issue for residents. Reporters may encounter NIMBY's. Growth and development stories overlap over local government beats, and they affect every resident. The reporter writes stories about zoning requests, any objections or support, public hearings, and the final vote. Through every story, the reporter must explain the jargon to the citizens. Special governments and districts Conducted every five years, the Census of Governments defines special district governments as independent, special-purpose governmental units (other than school district governments) that exist as separate entities with substantial administrative and fiscal independence from general-purpose local governments. Reporters must know which special district governments are included in the beat. In the most recent Census of Governments, Arkansas ranked 21st among the states in terms of local governments, with 1,548 active as of October 2007. A little less than half (724) were special district governments including:
Nationwide, most special district governments perform a specific function, but sometimes enabling legislation allows them to provide several, usually related, types of services. More than a third are responsible for natural resources such as drainage and flood control, irrigation, and soil and water conservation. The most frequent function is fire protection followed by housing and community development, and waste-water disposal. About 15 percent provide water supplies. In some areas, municipalities and counties fund the special district governments; in others, these governments can levy taxes or assess fees to raise operating revenues. Reporters should not let special district governments go unnoticed or unreported. In some cases, individuals have established their own "kingdoms" where they wield great power and influence because of their positions within these governments or their advisory boards. For example, municipalities, counties or cooperatives might operate and manage utility systems, which in turn are regulated by state utility commissions (e.g. the Arkansas Public Service Commission) that must approve any rate increases. Utilities cover a range of services: natural gas, petroleum, electricity, nuclear power, wind power. Some local governments might have cooperatives to provide utilities, such as water and sewer service. Local governments might also oversee telephone systems, e.g. the Southwest Arkansas Telephone Cooperative. The Investigative Reporters and Editors Web site provides tipsheets on how to cover aspects of the utility industry, developed after blackouts in 2003. Why Local Boards Meet Local and special district governments conduct several types of meetings:
Once the reporter does the background work prior to a meeting, an editor might want an advance story to let the public know what to expect at the meeting. Advance stories basically outline the agenda and provides relevant background information; an editor can help determine noteworthy aspects. Any controversial aspects will be highlighted. The advance includes when and where the meeting will occur and note if residents can watch the proceedings on public access television. Some meetings might last three or four hours. Reporters working for a daily might have a deadline before the meeting ends, so they must be prepared to file or send a story before important action begins. In such cases, reporters could e-mail or call in a story complete with background, then write the lede with the latest action or information just prior to deadline. The lede sets up the action that occurred. If the members voted, that's the final action (note: it's unnecessary to report that members agreed to vote or decided to vote). When writing the article, focus on the substance of the meeting. The most compelling aspect might be conflict or differing opinions among members. The order of the items in the article indicates the order of importance to the reader, i.e. the reporter practices agenda-setting by writing the article. In other words, NEVER tell a chronological story as residents need to know how the vote turned out more than knowing who gave the benediction. Reporters should also include local officials' and local residents' reactions. State and federal actions affect local governments, e.g. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge favored local governments deciding which equipment and security measures (such as metal detectors in government buildings) would be best. Federal funds were funneled through the states to the local governments, many of which complained that states acted without enough speed. Just like you were required to do with the midterm, reporters often investigate and develop stories they first see on the wires or in other publications by finding a local angle. Each municipality and county government must comply with federal regulations, thus a local angle will be available with that story.
If you don't understand something in this Web note, please e-mail Dr. Sitton.
©Ronald W. Sitton 2009 |
