Learn how to take on one of the thorniest – and most important – challenges journalists face today: getting the public to read about policy. Participants in this half-day workshop held Friday, February 28, 2020, learned how to produce exclusive stories that reach people who don’t typically read about policy – and also make insiders sit up and take notice. The afternoon featured three sessions:
How to write policy stories that engage the public with story coach Andie Coller, a Politico and National Journal alum
When and how to humanize your policy stories, with New York Times investigative reporter Sarah Kliff; and
Finding (and interpreting) the data your readers want and need, with McClatchy D.C. data reporter Ben Wieder.
How to write policy stories that engage the public:
Andie Coller is a journalist and editorial consultant who specializes in framing information for impact. She has been a reporter and editor at Politico, deputy editor of National Journal magazine, and national audience editor for McClatchy. She is a past program director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute.
When and how to humanize your policy stories
Sarah Kliff is an investigative reporter for the New York Times, where her work focuses on how the American health care system does (and doesn’t) work for patients. She has previously written for Vox, The Washington Post, and Politico. She loves stories that can show the personal consequences of policymaking.
Finding (and interpreting) the data your readers want and need
Ben Wieder is a data reporter in the McClatchy D.C. Bureau who has focused on political influence, government contracts and predatory lending. He worked previously at the Center for Public Integrity and Stateline and has also written for FiveThirtyEight, The Chronicle of Higher Education and Newsday.
Please contact Julie Moos with questions, [email protected] or 202-662-7507.