Others, saddled with small staffs, worry about being outgunned by the competition. And others fret over filling hours of air time once the polls have closed. Then you talk to guys like Doug Fox or Thor Wasbotten. Fox and Wasbotten say election night can be television at its best-an opportunity to engage viewers and show how their votes are shaping the political landscape. If we don't, we've failed.
Most newsrooms do try to develop a strategy for election night coverage.
They assign reporters to cover watch parties, schedule technical crews to handle live shots, and invite political experts to appear on set with anchors. But those steps are just single plays in a bigger game plan, says Wayne Youngquist, senior political analyst at WISN-TV in Milwaukee. There's still more you can do. He recommends beginning your most intense political coverage two to three weeks before an election. It doesn't make sense to hit them when they're not listening.