Does your audience need a nuts-and-bolts guide on how elections work, or deeper political analysis? Do they want to learn about social and cultural issues on the ballot, or economics or structural issues? Resource-strapped newsrooms can’t offer comprehensive coverage on every person and issue up for a vote, but community listening can help you prioritize the topics that matter most to your audience — and decide what not to cover.
Quick reflection: What’s one assumption you’re making about what your audience cares about?
Why this works: Most journalists have a pretty good idea of the main issues in their communities. But deep listening can challenge their assumptions about what people care most about.
What this looks like in action: Addressing your community’s concerns about local elections not only strengthens your coverage but also helps build trust.
- Honolulu Civil Beat set up pop-up newsrooms in libraries across the state to learn what issues voters prioritized in choosing a candidate. Reporters were then able to ask candidates more focused questions.
- When a Missoulian reporter visited the state’s Native communities to learn about top concerns for an upcoming election, she found residents were disengaged — which turned into the story.
- Black Voice News in Southern California held a Festival of Ideas where organizers set up a mock voting booth where people could “vote” on the issues they considered most pressing. The fun event attracted different generations.
Try this
Start here (45 minutes)
Choose one group you don’t usually hear from and schedule a quick listening conversation this week with 2-3 members/reps of that group.
Need a starting point? Pick just one of the resources below if you need help getting started.
- How to use voting districts to kickstart community listening
- Host a successful community listening session
- How to build trust and relevance in your work
Ask one question
What’s one issue you wish local news explained better right now?
Make it concrete
- Who will you reach out to?
- When will you have the call?
- How will you capture what you hear?
Make it social
Forward this email to a colleague, noting the group you’ll be listening to and prompting them to do the same. Plan to compare what you hear.
Tailor voter guides to your community’s needs
The voter guide is a newsroom staple — and often a huge investment of time and resources. Using feedback from community listening and other input can offer a new take on what a voter guide can look like in 2026.
Why this works: A voter guide that reflects residents’ questions and concerns can increase civic engagement and inspire people to turn to you for information outside of election season.
What this looks like in action: Highlight voices in your community, and meet them where they are.
- Baltimore Beat used answers from a youth survey to shape the questions they asked candidates and built a voter guide around those issues.
- Louisville Public Media targeted rural communities by mailing out statewide voter guides that directed people to their digital projects.
- Austin Common designed social-first election guides for down-ballot races to educate people on small yet consequential races.
Try this
Start here (30 minutes)
Review your most recent voter guide this week. Use one real question or signal from your community to shape your next guide.
Need a starting point? Test new formats and platforms for your voter guide.
- Tips to shape your voter guide strategy
- Use postcards and flyers around your election coverage
- Design voting guides for social media to build a civically-engaged audience
Keep it simple
You don’t need to redesign the whole guide. Focus on testing one shift.
