This document provides a 10 step plan for covering digital election coverage as a procrastinator. The steps include: choosing key issues to focus on; writing breaking news stories in advance; selectively using tools like APIs and apps; linking to other coverage; embedding useful multimedia; creating informal partnerships; using social media to identify audience interests; creating guides to other content; covering elections live; and streamlining coverage. The plan emphasizes writing in advance, linking out to others' work, using social media to engage audiences, and keeping coverage simple.

1. A Procrastinator’s Guide to
Digital Election Coverage
September 27, 2012

2. DigitalServices.NPR.org – Click on News Training
Teresa Gorman
tgorman@npr.org
@gteresa
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3. Questions to ask
1.How is your coverage unique?
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4. Questions to ask
1.How is your coverage unique?
2.What does your audience
expect?
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5. Questions to ask
1.How is your coverage unique?
2.What does your audience
expect?
3.What can you do well in the
time left?
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6. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
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7. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
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8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/aheram/7885306114/sizes/z/
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9. Choose your battles
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10. Choose your battles
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11. Set yourself apart from the competition
 Write the second day story on the first day
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12. Set yourself apart from the competition
 Write the second day story on the first day
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13. What does this mean??
 Provide
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14. What does this mean??
 Provide
• Perspective
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15. What does this mean??
 Provide
• Perspective
• Analysis
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16. What does this mean??
 Provide
• Perspective
• Analysis
• Why it matters
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17. What does this mean??
 Provide
• Perspective
• Analysis
• Why it matters
• A different take
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18. What does this mean??
 Provide
• Perspective
• Analysis
• Why it matters
• A different take
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19. What does this mean??
 Provide
• Perspective
• Analysis
• Why it matters
• A different take
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20. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
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21. 2. Write breaking news in advance
 Google likes speed
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22. 2. Write breaking news in advance
 Google likes speed
 Only way to get ahead with ‘what happened’ is
to be on it immediately
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23. 2. Write breaking news in advance
 Google likes speed
 Only way to get ahead with ‘what happened’ is
to be on it immediately
 Focus on the implications of key initiatives or
local races – not results
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24. 2. Write breaking news in advance
 Google likes speed
 Only way to get ahead with ‘what happened’ is
to be on it immediately
 Focus on the implications of key initiatives or
local races – not results
 Write three different versions for the most
important stories
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25. Write breaking tweets in advance
 XYZ wins New Hampshire Republican primary with XYZ % of
vote LINK #NHPrimary
 XYZ comes in last in #NHPrimary, with XYZ% of vote LINK
 XYZ% of precincts are reporting. XYZ is ahead of XYZ by XYZ%.
 Romney #NHPrimary win means election is his to lose, Shields
says LINK
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26. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
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27. 3. Selectively use NPR tools: API
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28. 3. Selectively use NPR tools: API
 What does your
audience expect
from you?
 Does it have local
relevance?
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29. 3. Selectively use NPR tools: NPR apps
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30. 3. Selectively use NPR tools: NPR apps
http://apps.npr.org/early-voting-2012/#oh
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31. 3. Selectively use NPR tools: NPR apps
http://apps.npr.org/early-voting-2012/#oh
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32. 3. Selectively use NPR tools: NPR apps
Twitter.com/NPRApps
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33. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
4. Link out to other local and national coverage
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34. Do what you do best
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35. Do what you do best
Link to the rest
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36. Link out
“It is not a sign of weakness to
point to others' good work. It's
a service,” Mark Memmott.
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37. Link out: Be consistent
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38. Link out: Keep it short
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39. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
4. Link out to other local and national coverage
5. Embed multimedia that is useful
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40. 5. Embed multimedia that is useful
http://bit.ly/ma
pembed
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41. Embed useful media: Video
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42. Embed useful media: Social media
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43. Embed useful media: Social media
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44. Embed useful media: Social media
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45. Embed useful media: Social media
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46. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
4. Link out to other local and national coverage
5. Embed multimedia that is useful
6. Create informal partnerships
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47. Informally share content plans
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48. Share a common hashtag
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49. Share a common hashtag
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50. Share a common hashtag
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51. Share a common hashtag
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52. Share a common hashtag
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53. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
4. Link out to other local and national coverage
5. Embed multimedia that is useful
6. Create informal partnerships
7. Use social media to find out what your audience wants to
know
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54. Use social media to find out what your audience wants to know
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55. Use social media to find out what your audience wants to know
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56. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
4. Link out to other local and national coverage
5. Embed multimedia that is useful
6. Create informal partnerships
7. Use social media to find out what your audience wants to
know
8. Create and update guides to other good content
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57. Create and update guides to other good content
Combine tactics:
http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2012/09/19/what-to-know-about-floridas-
amendment-8/#more-13268
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58. Create and update guides to other good content
Combine tactics:
 Pick issues and
races that are of
interest
 Provide context
 Write in advance
 Link out
 Answer questions
 Dive into your
archives
http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2012/09/19/what-to-know-about-floridas-
amendment-8/#more-13268
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59. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
4. Link out to other local and national coverage
5. Embed multimedia that is useful
6. Create informal partnerships
7. Use social media to find out what your audience wants to
know
8. Create and update guides to other good content
9. Cover it live on election night
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60. 9. Cover it live with blogs and social media
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61. Do it live
1. Post live updates on election
night
2. Host a live blog
3. Live tweet from viewing parties,
newsroom, voting places
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62. Do it live
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63. Do it live
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64. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
4. Link out to other local and national coverage
5. Embed multimedia that is useful
6. Create informal partnerships
7. Use social media to find out what your audience wants to
know
8. Create and update guides to other good content
9. Cover it live on election night
10. Streamline coverage
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65. Streamline coverage
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66. Streamline coverage: Keep it simple
1. Call it something recognizable
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67. Streamline coverage: Keep it simple
1. Call
it something recognizable
2. Make it easy to find
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68. Streamline coverage: Keep it simple
1. Call
it something recognizable
2. Make it easy to find
3. Keep it simple – do you really
need to spend a lot of time
making a separate page?
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69. 10 Steps to an Election Coverage Plan
1. Choose your battles
2. Write breaking news in advance
3. Selectively use NPR tools
4. Link out to other local and national coverage
5. Embed multimedia that is useful
6. Create informal partnerships
7. Use social media to find out what your audience wants to
know
8. Create and update guides to other good content
9. Cover it live on election night
10. Streamline coverage
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70. Questions?
Up next:
• “Beyond November" - Behind-the-Scenes of a Public Media
Collaboration in St. Louis: Oct. 4, 1 - 2 p.m. ET
• How to Live Blog the Election: Oct. 11, 1 - 2 p.m. ET
• Cover the Election, Core Publisher Style: Oct. 18, 1 - 2 p.m. ET
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