First Amendment Reporting: What can reporters, editors do?

What can reporters do?

During a round of drinks with a number of Colorado Capitol press corps colleagues last week, the question of how journalists can continue quality First Amendment journalism amid newsroom layoffs, cutbacks and larger work loads was asked. 

"How can we be expected to do that level of work when we are being asked to pump out more stories, instant online news updates, take photos and blog every day?" 

It's true. Reporters are being asked to do more with fewer resources and less time than ever before. But, after thinking about this conversation (and so many others just like it) I came to believe that more work and less time shouldn't be an excuse for reporters and editors to stop practicing the democratic responsibility of First Amendment, watchdog reporting. 

First, the more watchdog journalism a community reads in its local paper the more respect it will give to the publication. I understand respect doesn't necessarily equate to more advertising or even subscriptions, but it does count for something. Sources will open up more and people in the know will feel safer in making sure the newspaper is in the know. 

Second, it should make the reporter(s) feel good to know he/she is doing the job. So, what can overworked, underpaid reporters do? 

Here is a quick list of three steps any reporter can add to their work week in order to produce more watchdog journalism but that won't take too much of their valuable time either:

- File more open records requests. Not everything has to be done in the form of a FOIA, of course. Often times reporters can gain information simply by asking for it. But, it's essential that reporters use the public documents in order to find stories. The best stories are found not through canned press releases but by digging into the public documents of a school district or city government. Sometimes, just by filing the open records request a reporter will stumble onto a hidden nugget. And, in some instances, a government staffer might lead the reporter to another document related to the original request but that offers better insight into the subject at hand. 

- Ask for copies of audits.  There is important information buried in the pages of government audits. Any reporter covering a beat, whether schools, city or state government, or the FAA, should ask officials for copies of all of audits performed in the last 12 months. Most audits contain an executive summary which summarizes the bulk of the information into a couple of pages and often will highlight the inconsistencies or problem areas the auditor found. This practice doesn't take much effort but can lead to good watchdog stories. 

- Scrutinize consent agendas. It's amazing how often the best news items from a board meeting or a city council hearing are hidden away in the consent agenda. Sometimes government employees place important fee or tax increases onto the consent agenda because they know the elected officials will not raise an eyebrow. If it passes on consent, there is no public discussion on the item, or even an individual vote by lawmakers. Most journalists will say that "Everyone knows to check consent agendas" but you would be surprised how many don't.