Free Advice for Legislative Press Aides

The number of regional reporters covering their local congressional delegations in Washington is dwindling, as the Washington Post points out. Even with the Obama presidency pushing interest in Washington politics to an all-time high, the regional press corps is shrinking. Until newspapers can figure out how to better monetize their content, this trend is likely to continue.

In the meantime, many papers are attempting to cover legislators from afar. It's not an ideal situation, but quality of coverage doesn't necessarily have to suffer. To help facilitate better coverage, here are some ideas for legislative press personnel.

• Build more contacts among the local press and bloggers. Send out press releases and statements on a regular -- but not overwhelming -- basis. Make sure the releases are engaging, concise, and have a solid, easily-identifiable news hook.
  
• Take style cues from Sen. Chuck Schumer. Witness the subject of a recent Schumer press release: "SCHUMER, PASCRELL REVEAL: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TICKET DEBACLE TIP OF THE ICEBERG - IMPENDING TICKETMASTER MERGER COULD LIMIT CONSUMER CHOICE, SEND CONCERT TICKET PRICES AND FEES THROUGH THE ROOF."
• Conduct regular press conferences back in your state/district (a la Schumer)
• Bring a video camera along to every press conference and public appearance the member attends. Post on YouTube, and grant usage rights to media outlets.
• Conduct video conference calls via Skype.
• Post news, photos and video in a constituent-oriented blog. This is not necessarily an original idea, but most congressional blogs are either rarely-updated or poorly-executed.
  
• Posting video of floor speeches is great, but make sure the video makes it on the web site on the same day, rather than a week after the fact. A transcript would also be nice.
• In addition to bloggers, also try to reach out to student media. The influence of student publications is underrated.