Press politicians on election promises

Jim Pumarlo

Nov 1, 2024

Elections are over, and you breathe a sigh of relief. The exhaustive campaign season has concluded, and newsrooms can return to some level of normalcy.

Not so fast. The most substantive aspect of election coverage might loom. Your pages have been filled with campaign promises detailed in stories, letters to the editor and ads. The next logical step: Are the winners keeping their promises?

In that regard, mark April 1. It’s common to rate the president’s first 100 days in office. Why not do the same for other elected officials? Yes, it’s unreasonable to expect a great deal of policy-making in the first three months, but it’s an opportunity to get a flavor of lawmaker priorities and participation.

The lack of civility in politics prompts many to bemoan the 24/7/365 election cycle. Unfortunately, the hyper partisanship has permeated into local races. At the same time, this is an excellent reminder that election coverage cannot simply be turned on and turned off during campaign season. Benchmarking is likely easiest, and most relevant to readers, by focusing on local elected officials.

If thoughtfully planned, continuing coverage goes a long way toward holding elected officials accountable. It also can enrich coverage of local public affairs, providing substantive content beyond blow-by-blow meeting reports.

Several angles can be pursued once newly elected bodies take shape. 

FOR EXAMPLE

• Candidates emerge victorious propelled by a platform of what they represent and promise to accomplish. Prepare periodic scorecards of their performance.

• Often, a new year is accompanied by a new agenda — “state of the state” speeches by the mayor, county board chair or school board presidents. Detail their objectives and track progress, periodically generating stories and, where appropriate, editorial commentary.

• Elections can produce new voting blocs and change in governing dynamics. That can be easily noticed when individuals run on a party label. It’s less evident in nonpartisan contests. Reporters who regularly cover these bodies are in excellent position to analyze the changes and preview what might be in store.

This year’s acrimonious presidential election offers a more immediate opportunity for examination. Party-line voting is common among many voters, leading with the top of the ticket. Did that pattern hold sway this year?

Track the local voting percentages for the presidential nominees compared to other partisan races. Research the same percentages for the presidential election four years ago. Did margins remain basically static, or were there significant changes? Any surprises in either regard?

Create a nice, easy-to-read graphic with the figures. Then connect with local party leaders or elder statemen to interpret the patterns. Consider a retired public official, an incumbent who chose not to seek re-election or a political science professor at an area university.

Are you short on newsroom resources or simply exhausted from writing election stories? Explore point/counterpoint columns for the editorial page. You provide the theme, and others generate the content. Publish the commentaries side-by-side with their photos. Produce a nice graphic restating the final vote totals and maybe additional breakdown such as contrasting urban/rural districts — whatever might be appropriate.

A deeper review of what the voters said doesn’t have to be all rolled into the next day’s edition. Follow-up stories are excellent content for your newspaper in succeeding days and weeks, and they help readers know what the election results really mean.

Newsrooms should put as much effort into post-election reports as in ongoing campaign coverage. Both your newspaper and community will benefit.

Jim Pumarlo is former editor of the Red Wing (Minnesota) Republican Eagle. He writes, speaks and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He is author of “Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage,” “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in Small-Town Newspapers.” He can be reached at www.pumarlo.com and welcomes comments and questions at jim@pumarlo.com.