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Today's trust tip: Explain what you're not covering

Hi there. Lynn here.

Although the election has passed, national politics is still very much in the spotlight. Between the lingering lawsuits from President Donald Trump, President-Elect Joe Biden's cabinet picks and appointments, the electoral college vote and the inauguration, there is still a lot to cover in the coming weeks and months. Add to that any potential presidential pardons and the upcoming Georgia Senate races, and you have a full load of potential national content.

So, what will you cover, and what won't you cover? Are you prepared to answer users' questions about why you don't have certain stories on your homepage or in your newscasts?

Explaining how you choose what stories to cover, especially when it comes to national politics, is really important. If news consumers don't understand or don't have an explanation about why you aren't covering certain stories related to President Trump or President-Elect Biden, they will most likely make an assumption based on their political leanings. A lot of times that assumption will involve a belief that you and your newsroom have a bias driving your choices.

When talking about story selection, it's important to also discuss what you don't cover. Sometimes, I think that can actually be easier. If you're a local news organization, there is no way you can cover all of those national political stories — and in some cases, there may be reasons why you are not. Explain to your audience where your priorities are (local), and point them in the direction of where they can find accurate reporting on these topics. (Related newsletter: How to discuss content you don't produce.)

Then there are stories that don't merit attention or at least play-by-play coverage by your news organization. For local newsrooms, Biden's cabinet picks and appointments probably don't merit play-by-play coverage. Highlights, sure. But, probably not front page stories or minute thirty TV packages. President Trump's election lawsuits and this fall's Hunter Biden stories may fit into that category for national news organizations. Explain those decisions to your audience. Here's how NPR did that.

In her newsletter, NPR's Public Editor Kelly McBride explained why users would not see much coverage of the New York Post's story. She then explained how NPR was covering the topic, mentioning specific stories they did produce related to how social media companies were restricting the distribution of the story.

TRY THIS: Write down your news organization's approach to national political stories. If you use wire content or stories from your corporate owner, explain how that works. Then think about what types of stories users will not see on your website, on-air or in print and explain to them why that's the case. Think about the upcoming Georgia Senate races, the inauguration and all of the announcements related to who will be in Biden's administration. If you are only going to cover final announcements, say that and point people in the direction of where they can get play-by-play information if that is what they are interested in. Having this written down will show this isn't about a specific candidate or political party — this is your consistent approach no matter who is involved.

— Lynn Walsh, Trusting News assistant director

YOU'RE INVITED:

2021 TRAINING: Our Trust 101 class covers transparency and engagement strategies to demonstrate credibility and earn trust. Give us a few hours a week for about a month, and you'll leave with a customized plan for your own work. Apply for first class of 2021 by Jan. 4.
POLITICS AND PUBLIC HEALTH: We've been collaborating with other organizations to help journalists cover elections, and our team is inviting you to help us reflect on lessons learned and talk about how to apply those lessons in 2021 for covering the new administration, the coronavirus and vaccines. One thing on our minds is "re-engaging the right," or how we can reconnect with conservative news consumers. Join us on Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. EST. Details and registration are here.

Trusting News aims to demystify trust in news and empower journalists to take responsibility for actively demonstrating credibility and earning trust. It is a project of the Reynolds Journalism Institute and the American Press Institute.