As a local television Director, my main focus is on the local news and the issues that affect the community in which I live. I would choose to make the closing of the parks for three days my lead story and leave the celebrity death to the bigger networks. My first priority is to report news that affects the citizens of the community that I serve, even with the prospect of bigger ratings; I would feel an obligation to my audience to report issues that are more closely related to them.
I would have an intense investigation on the money issues that has caused the city council to start looking at ways to save money. I would send a reporter to talk to each council person to obtain any information into the current expenditures that the city has invoked. There would be a run of the initial story set up on our local news website, which would include a blog box to obtain audience’s feedback and comments. Prior to the city council meeting, I would have run a couple of the stories that the investigating reporters had found and announced the time and place of the city council’s meeting. This way those that are interested in attending will be well informed and those that did not know will know have the ability to participate. One reporter and crew would be assigned to give onsite coverage of the meeting, which could report breaking news on the vote and how it might affect the community. One reporter will man the website giving updated information on the voting and answering any questions that may arise from bloggers.
Once the vote has been tallied, we connect with the on-scene reporter with the results. Now, the reporter on-scene will also be responsible for the follow-up story. Getting information from the city council persons on why they voted the way they did, what comments do the elected officials have in response to how they voted and why, and are there alternative ways to save money other than closing the parks? Some key questions that need to be asked are: