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The category of Issue Stories is a wide one arguably every bit of election coverage can be associated with an issue. To make this large collection of online clips manageable, weve divided them into a somewhat arbitrary groups (not meant to imply that some issues are more significant than others). Remember that a good technique for explaining one kind of issue can be used effectively for another, so browse around.
 Fishing Rights and National Security
WSLS Roanoke, Virginia
watch clip|clip run time » 3:57
After September 11, security concerns led to closing part of Virginia's New River alongside the Radford Army Ammunition plant. Since that part of the river is a popular place to fish, the decision stirred a debate about balancing national security with fishing rights and civil liberties.
FCC Rules Changes: Reporting on yourself
WSLS Roanoke, VA
watch clip|clip run time » 3:33
view resource: [Acrobat PDF: 1 p., 48 K]
When the FCC was preparing to vote on new regulations that would allow one company to own multiple radio stations, TV stations and newspapers in the same market, WSLS reporter Jay Warren explored the possible impact on quality and diversity of news coverage and choices for consumers.
Slot Machines at Racetracks
Lancaster, PA
watch clip|clip run time » 2:49
Both candidates for governor are pushing to legalize slot machines at the state horse racing tracks as a way to raise money for state program funding. Reporter Robert Lang looks at their exact proposals.
Garbage Collection Costs
WNBC New York, New York
watch clip|clip run time » 3:24
In examining the cost and tax dollars associated with waste disposal in New York City, Jay DeDapper of WNBC documents the trail trash takes from the curb to its final destination.
Project Texas Reports: Education Funding
WFAA Dallas, Texas
watch clip|clip run time » 3:12
view resource: [Acrobat PDF: 1 p., 69 K]
Two stations combine efforts to see how the state’s school funding formula is affecting two very different districts, one affluent and one not. In a series of special reports called “Project Texas” leading up to the November 2002 general election, these reports focused on major issues in the races for governor and U.S. Senate. This clip examines education funding, a crucial problem facing lawmakers in Texas and the candidates for governor.
Time Magazine Reunion
Twin Cities Public Television (TPT)  Minneapolist/St. Paul, Minn.
watch clip|clip run time » 8:59
Thirty years after "Time" magazine featured an article about Minnesota, reporter Mary Lahammer reassembles many who were profiled by the magazine to see how "the good life" in Minnesota has changed.
Farm Family
News 8 Austin Austin, Texaas
watch clip|clip run time » 3:02
Rachel Elsberry of News8 Austin talks with a Texas farm family to get their perspective on the upcoming 2002 election.
Education Documentary
Nashville Public Television Nashville, Tenn.
watch clip|clip run time » 5:00
Nashville Public Television's documentary "The Tennessee Year Book 2002," traces the history of Tennessee's struggling education system. This excerpt features teacher Tommie Henderson, an MIT graduate who returned home to teach at his high school alma mater.
Term Limits
KTVU Oakland San Francisco, Calif.
watch clip|clip run time » 5:24
KTVU political editor Randy Shandobil looks at how term limits have impacted the California legislature.
Hot Button Issues: Crowded Classes
KNBC Los Angeles, Calif.
watch clip|clip run time » 3:05
KNBC reporter Kim Baldonado talks with students regarding the "Hot Button Issue" of crowded classrooms and looks at what the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates plan to do about it.
Hot Button Issues: Affordable Housing
KNBC Los Angeles, Calif.
watch clip|clip run time » 3:36
In this "Hot Button Issue" report, Cohen Nolen looks at California's housing shortage in relation to the state's restrictions on home building. California enforces some of the tightest building restrictions in the nation. The piece includes candidates' positions.
Hot Button Issues: Affordable Housing
KNBC Los Angeles, Calif.
watch clip|clip run time » 3:09
KNBC's Cohen Nolen examines the "Hot Button Issue" of affordable housing. Nolen talks with residents of California about the limited housing available and the struggle to find homes that are affordable. The candidates for Governor are asked what they intend to do about the issue.
Hot Button Issues: Insurance Lapses
KNBC Los Angeles, Calif.
watch clip|clip run time » 4:09
The costs of health insurance continue going up while the benefits are going down. KNBC's Laurel Erickson tackles this "Hot Button Issue" and asks the gubernatorial candidates what they would do to help alleviate this problem.
Projct Texas Reports: Poor Kids and Health Insurance
KHOU Houston, Texas
watch clip|clip run time » 2:56
In a series of special reports called "Project Texas," reporter Nancy Holland of KHOU Houston looks at the issues surrounding children with unmet healthcare needs.
Project Texas Reports: Education Funding
San Antonio, Texas
watch clip|clip run time » 3:21
In a series of special reports called "Project Texas" leading up to the November 2002 general election, four Belo-owned stations combined forces to look at a series of key issues. In this report, Itza Gutierrez looks at how one school in San Antonio benefits from the so-called "Robin Hood" method of school financing.
California’s Budget Cuts
 Oakland, California
clip run time » 2:44
Like so many other states, California made headlines with massive budget shortfalls in 2002. Good writing and some surprising interviews with state lawmakers helped reporter Randy Shandobil create a fine story out of a problematic subject.
Explaining Property Tax Changes
WLVT Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
clip run time » 5:09
When property tax cuts became a central issue in a Pennsylvania state senate race, WLVT created this piece to help explain the effects of the possible cuts. It features two co-workers who represent different groups affected by cuts seniors and a parent of school-age kids. The candidates plans are compared and an economist offers an opinion on their viability.
Bill Simon on Trinity Network
Oakland, California
clip run time » 6:09
California gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon made an appearance on the Trinity Broadcast Network, which prompted Oaklands KTVU to produce this story. It raises a number of interesting questions, such as whether its appropriate for a candidate to be associated with a show that encourages viewers to give money based on perhaps dubious religious claims. When a candidate makes an appearance, what responsibility does a candidate have over the beliefs held by that group? (Think of George W. Bush at Bob Jones University.)
Governor Daviss Fundraising
Oakland, California
clip run time » 5:58
There are lots of different stories to be written on money in politics; this story about California governor Gray Davis presents one aspect of how influential campaign donors could be. Great story-telling makes this more engaging that your run-of-the-mill campaign piece. One small technique you might consider trying: reporter Randy Shandobil does the math of how much re-election money per day ($35,000) that Davis has been raising since his inauguration. For other races, you can calculate how much was spent per voter.
Questions for Bush about Oil Drilling
Oakland, California
clip run time » 3:10
Because access to some candidates can be so restricted during a campaign, it can be tempting to ask questions about anything and everything when one finally gets time with them. Reporter Randy Shandobil takes a different approach in this satellite interview with George W. Bush during his 2000 campaign. When Bush made an appearance in Washington State to promote his environmental policies, Shandobil used the opportunity to ask about one issue: offshore drilling in California.
1984 (Surveillance)
KARE  Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
clip run time » 4:16
A community decides to mount surveillance cameras in their downtown area to deter crime. How to capture the attention of viewers when covering this story? Phil Johnston reported this as a feature, looking at larger privacy issues, and used humor, clever camera work, and smart editing to create this outstanding example of issue reporting.
Personalizing Prescription Drug Coverage
WLVT Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
clip run time » 6:12
Prescription drugs are a perennial issue in campaigns across the country. Reporter Jeff Chirico combines the Truth Check approach with a very personal story of an older couple facing high monthly prescription costs. It's a nice way to present the issue in a way that viewers can relate to, then investigate details of the politicians proposed plans to see what will work.
Bush Pop Quiz
: Boston, Massachusetts
air date » 3.Nov.99
clip run time » 2:18
This infamous pop quiz by reporter Andy Hiller on then-governor George W. Bush was widely covered during Campaign 2000. We include it as part of the BPJ video library to prompt questions of whats appropriate when interviewing candidates. Would these questions be appropriate in a debate? Are they relevant or conclusive in judging the capability of a person to succeed in an elected position? Should anything be off-limits, particularly for national-level races?
Using Tape in Debates: Nevada Gambling
: Las Vegas, Nevada
air date: 2000
clip run time » 2:11
Taped packages can be an effective way of introducing issues to viewers in debates. Host Mitch Fox narrates a short clip about gambling before asking related budget questions in this debate between 2000 U.S. Senate candidates Ed Bernstein and John Ensign. (Mitch cautions producers about duplicating the bedsheet chic of the debate set, however...)
Unfinished Business/Can They Do It?: Housing & Schools
WNBC New York, New York
air date » 3-7.Sep.01
Schools run time » 5:24
Housing run time » 10:17
In the week before the New York Mayoral primary, WNBC ran five expanded segments covering issues important to voters. Political reporter Jay DeDapper and government affairs reporter Melissa Russo teamed up on each piece. They begin by describing through personal stories a particular piece of unfinished business (these clips feature improving schools and creating affordable housing; they also did welfare, public safety, and jobs/economy). This is followed with statements by each of the six candidates, declaring how they would solve the problem. The reporters then evaluate the feasibility of these campaign claims. Its an effective way of combining citizen voices and truth checks in an issues piece.
[DeDapper notes that compared to the previous week, ratings were up in this quarter-hour. For the week, the show averaged a full rating point higher.]
Two Story Approaches: School Prayer
developed for BPJ by Boa Vista Creative, Austin, Texas
clip run time » 4:06
Alan Berg produced this pair for the BPJ workshop in Orlando, when we wanted to explore ways of improving upon conventional storytelling techniques, particularly in a short form suitable for commercial stations. In the first example, Alan (former Austin Bureau Chief for WFAA in Dallas) set up the first piece as a typical day-of-event shoot lead with footage from outside the church rally, brief bites from someone in opposition, someone in support, etc. The second piece positions the issue within a portrait of the community, creating a more informative and engaging story. The running time is the same, but it does a better job of explaining why the issue of school prayer is important to this town.
Two Story Approaches: Traffic
developed for BPJ by NewsLab : Washington, D.C.
clip run time » 4:15
In these two stories produced by NewsLab for a BPJ workshop, reporter Elliot Lewis shows us differing approaches to covering an important local issue traffic. The first clip reflects a fairly standard way of presenting the positions and goals of the two Virginia gubernatorial candidates. By comparison, the second clip builds a framework using a citizen driving to work. The result is more memorable, more meaningful to viewers.
Balance of Power
WNET New York, N.Y.
clip run time » 5:32
WNET/Thirteen put together an hour-long documentary about the personalities that dominate the New York Statehouse, including the issue of lobby and campaign reform. This excerpt shows how they used voices other than the key politicians to tell the story: here, a lawyer fighting for reform and the Students4Reform.org group he organized.
Vote for Me: Lobbyists
The Center for New American Media : New York, New York
clip run time » 8:48
One of two clips from the 1996 documentary Vote For Me that show us how votes are won inside the Texas Legislature. We are introduced to the lobbyists, many of them former legislators who can use their political connections to influence practically write bills, at a much higher salary. They pitch themselves as the experts on the intricacies of the pending legislation (although one commentator quotes John Kenneth Galbraith: If all the experts were laid end-to-end& that would be a good thing.)
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Vote for Me: Floor Vote
The Center for New American Media : New York, New York
clip run time » 8:48
One of two clips from the 1996 documentary Vote For Me that show us how votes are won inside the Texas Legislature. This piece takes us onto the Senate floor, where one politician is trying to line up votes for his own bill. All the cajoling, pulling, bargaining, and well, politicking makes for a revealing look at the nature of the job after the election.
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Kolbe at the GOP Convention
Oakland, California
air date » 1.Aug.00
clip run time » 3:17
The KTVU clip is a dispatch from the GOP Convention, where there had been much discussion in the press of the Republican Partys declaration of greater acceptance and inclusion. Reporter Randy Shandobil found an interesting angle to explore that in practice from the convention floor when the only openly gay Republican (Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona) addressed the crowd.
Target Transportation
: Washington, D.C.
clip run time » 8:51
This 24-hour cable news station created a major programming initiative to tackle many aspects of transportation in the greater D.C. area. The project lasted for a year, during which they conducted town meetings, produced television specials, and incorporated more travel issues into their regular news coverage. (And we like the traffic-cone coffee table&)
Health Care Plans
WBZ  Boston, Massachusetts
air date: 5.Jan.00
clip run time » 7:04
A Gore/Bradley debate would be taking place that night, and WBZ had prepared a package comparing the two candidates health care proposals, which would run on the 6 oclock slot before the presidential face-off. Breaking news about the states largest medical insurance company going into receivership presented the news team with a dilemma: would viewers be overdosed with two major stories on health care? WBZ ran both, tailoring the Gore/Bradley segment in a way that directly references the days events, getting more relevance and impact from both stories.
Bush and Gay Republicans
WFAA  Dallas, Texas
air date » 18.Apr.00
clip run time » 2:00
In 2000, George W. Bush was the first GOP nominee to hold a policy briefing with gay supporters. Good writing by reporter Alan Berg makes it possible to describe the complicated positioning of Bush between Christian conservatives and others in his party, even in a brief two-minute clip.
Education in Texas
WFAA Dallas, Texas
air date » 21.July.00
clip run time » 4:44
Education is a high-ranking issue with voters, so reporter Doug Fox talked to three Texas teachers to hear their opinions on the presidential candidates potential for improving the education system in Bushs home state. A side-by-side comparison graphic of Bushs and Gores positions makes it easier for viewers to understand their positions. (Note: Fox says the school had one requirement no camera shots of the young students faces. Through good fortune he brought his crew on a day when the kids were wearing doctors masks as part of a project on medicine...)
The Iowa Caucuses: Two Stories
WFAA Dallas, Texas
clip run time » 2:48
The Working Group : Oakland, California
clip run time » 2:23
Every four years Iowa lifts the gates for the first laps of the great presidential horserace. These two clips find a way to report on this event for viewers in other states by focusing on local farmers: the needs of family farms, the promises made by campaigners in the early heats, and the emptiness that follows their departure to the next state on the schedule.
Candidate Coverage: Before and After
Rochester, New York
clip run time » 3:29
WOKR contributed sample stories that show how they are working to improve their coverage: moving away from a basic recording of the activity surrounding a candidates visit, toward delivering more substantial information about issues.
Education in Federal Races
Wisconsin Public Television Madison, Wisconsin
air date » 7.Aug.98
clip run time » 8:36
Sometimes candidates make certain hot issues part of their campaign, even if they have little power over the matter once elected. In this clip, Wisconsin congressional candidates make known their views on education, even though federal dollars represent a tiny percentage of the states education budget. Art Hackett produced this clip as his regular installment for Wisconsin Public Televisions Friday night news and public affairs program, WeekEnd.
Livelyhood: Shift Change
The Working Group : Oakland, California
air date » Sep.97
clip run time » 9:10
This series of specials, hosted by humorist Will Durst for the PBS Democracy Project, was designed to start a conversation about the changing nature of work and its central place in our lives. Funny but not frothy, these shows employ especially inventive points-of-view in examining how our working lives, families, and communities are interconnected.
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