Today, the most popular news stories are not related directly to policy and lawmaking. However, politicians are learning how to make their voters care about policy.Communication strategies used by reporters may help politicians speak to voters. Measuring the interests of the public is vital to any politician, just as it is vital to any news reporter.
A reporter with News 12 Long Island, Elizabeth Hashagen, described four subjects her viewers care about most. She said that when reporting she relates her stories to her viewer’s “time, health, family, and money.”
In order to attract an audience, reporters must focus on these topics. Time, health, family, and money are areas that also translate to local and federal politics.
Now, politicians are beginning to take note of these four subjects. Modern lawmakers see that their voters care about these four things too.
Voters care about rising taxes (their money). They also think moving violations and speeding laws are important because traffic accidents cause extensive delays in their commute (their time). Most constituents are also concerned with their school system and the education process in their area because it affects their children (their family).
More recently, the health care debate in Congress has been in the news because it concerns people’s well being as well as their money.
Reporters and politicians are figuring out what to talk about in order to get people to care. For years, anchors on the evening news have grasped this concept, just as the most popular politicians. They all figured out what to talk about and how.
While speaking with Hashagen, she recommended reporters speak to their viewers with inclusive terms like “us, we, you.” The same vocabulary and speaking style can evoke emotion voters as well as viewers.
A more conversational communication style has been adopted by news reporters and has begun to permeate the political landscape.
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