11.05.2007
Template Reporting
(C) 2007 Stan Spire
She was nervous, rattled. She searched through her notes when a question was asked, responding with a prepared statement. At one point she hesitated for a while, lost in her thoughts. Not a good showing for an incumbent.
OK, she was having an off day. Possibly something upset her before the debate. That's understandable. But an important aspect of politics is how well a candidate comes across to an audience. Public speaking 101.
When the newspaper article appeared, no mention of the incumbent's difficulties. And while an article can't include every detail, at least the pertinent ones should be mentioned.
The reporter should have been a stand-in witness for those who couldn't attend the debate. Anyone there who was half-awake noticed that the incumbent was struggling at times to make her points.
But the article was the same standard unit the reporter had stamped out with previous debates and other candidates. He wrote utilizing a basic format, treating each debate like a sporting event. Portraying the action like a battle of wills between two evenly matched opponents. Tossing in words like "tussle" to enliven the copy. Using quotes like key plays.
Template reporting results when a reporter has covered too many stories over the years. Stick to an easy formula, file the story.
But even a sports reporter mentions when an athlete drops the ball.
# posted by Stan Spire @ 1:07 AM 
