Government & Politics

municipal-budget

How to find story ideas in municipal budgets

For reporters, budgets can be anything from boring to scary. They’re packed with numbers and technical words like “appropriation” “non-recurring expenditures” and “capital improvement,” also

City Hall

Good business stories start at City Hall

Business reporters are a rare bunch at local newspapers. Many papers no longer carry business sections, but this isn’t exactly new. As early as 2008,

Steve Rhodes Vote Here

Money angles this election cycle

With the Iowa Caucuses now in the rearview mirror, and New Hampshire and other early primary state elections primed for extensive media coverage, business and

Guns

Money stories and gun control

This month, President Obama announced details of his executive order aimed at reducing gun violence after numerous accounts of mass shootings and growing national media

twitter-government

10 government agencies to follow on Twitter

Government agencies offer great information, reports and official data. As a business journalist, or if you cover money in your beat, follow these federal agencies on

Covering federal grants, loans, and awards

The U.S. government gives out billions of dollars every year in grants, loans, contracts and financial assistance. Using USAspending.gov, you can see who is being

Federal Prison

5 tips for covering money and prisons

The American prison system is rife with money stories. Here are five economic angles you can pursue to localize coverage of prisons and jails in

Boehner and McConnel

5 angles for a government shutdown

House Speaker John Boehner’s shock resignation last week may lessen the chance of a government shutdown, some observers suggest. On Monday, the U.S. Senate passed

Who’s really behind that ad?

If you’re in a battleground state, you’ve already noticed political ads on TV, radio and strategic spots on the web. But, do you know who

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