2. •G E T A N A G E N D A .
•G E T M I N U T E S O F T H E L A S T M E E T I N G .
•R E A D O L D N E W S S T O R I E S .
•G O O G L E T H E P A R T I C I P A N T S .
Start with Research
3. •P U T T H E L E S S I M P O R T A N T D E T A I L S I N T O T H E [ I N
O T H E R B U S I N E S S . . . ] L I S T . A S F O R T H A T L I S T , M A K E
S U R E T H A T I T I S A R R A N G E D I N O R D E R O F M O S T
I M P O R T A N T T O L E A S T I M P O R T A N T .
•T H E B R E A K O U T B O X I S A G R E A T W A Y T O P R O M O T E T H E
N E X T M E E T I N G .
Use a Breakout Box and
Bulleted List
4. •I D E N T I F Y T H E S I N G L E M O S T I M P O R T A N T T H I N G T H A T
H A P P E N E D D U R I N G T H E M E E T I N G .
•I F T H I S I S N ’ T Y O U R L E D E , T H E N A S K Y O U R S E L F W H Y I T
I S N ’ T .
•M A K E S U R E T H E N U T G R A F ( W H I C H S H O U L D C O M E N O
L A T E R T H A N T H E 2 N D O R 3 R D P A R A G R A P H ) T E L L S T H E W H O ,
W H A T , W H E N A N D W H E R E O F Y O U R S T O R Y .
Clarify, Condense,
Concentrate
5. •ASK YOURSELF: WHAT IS THE STORY’S ANGLE?
•HOW MANY GRAFS DOES IT TAKE ME TO GET TO
THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT?
•AVOID SCENE-SETTER LEDES; THE EVENTS THAT
TAKE PLACE ARE ALWAYS MORE INTERESTING
THAN THE VENUE.
•COVER WHAT HAPPENS AT THE MEETING, NOT
THE MEETING ITSELF.
Clarify, Condense,
Concentrate
6. •C H A T W I T H P A R T I C I P A N T S A N D A U D I E N C E M E M B E R S
B E F O R E T H E M E E T I N G S T A R T S . M A K E S U R E Y O U R T A P E
R E C O R D E R I S W O R K I N G .
•G E T A S E A T T H A T A L L O W S Y O U T O M O V E A R O U N D F R E E L Y ,
B U T W H I C H G E T S Y O U C L O S E E N O U G H T O S E E A N D H E A R
E V E R Y T H I N G T H A T ’ S S A I D .
Go Early
7. •Y O U W A N T T O B L E N D I N , N O T S T I C K O U T . W E A R I N G A
D I R T Y T - S H I R T T O A C I T Y C O U N C I L M E E T I N G O R A T I E T O
A L A B O R C O N V E N T I O N W I L L M A K E Y O U U N C O M F O R T A B L E ,
A N D I T W I L L M A K E P E O P L E L E S S L I K E L Y T O S P E A K W I T H
Y O U .
Dress Appropriately
8. •A S K F O L L O W - U P Q U E S T I O N S .
•M A K E N E W C O N T A C T S .
•C O L L E C T N A M E S A N D P H O N E N U M B E R S .
•G E T R E A C T I O N S F R O M T H E C R O W D .
Stick around after the
meeting
9. •EDIT OUT THE LESS-IMPORTANT DETAILS.
•UNLESS THE PROCEDURAL DETAILS ARE THE
MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT HAPPENED (THE
MAYOR SLAMS HER GAVEL AND STORMS OUT OF
THE MEETING), THE ISSUES DISCUSSED ARE
MORE IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING.
•EXPLAIN TO READERS WHY THE ISSUES ARE
IMPORTANT.
•THE NUT GRAF SHOULD CONTAIN ALL OF THE
CLUNKY DETAILS.
Make it real for readers
