Advice From The Editor

Prior to the event:
- review press release if available
- conduct background research of the topic and the parties involved (talk to experts and citizens who have taken an position on the proposal or will be affected by it, think about multimedia such as which maps or graphics can complement the story)
- prepare as many questions as possible (questions should be short and to the point)

At the event:
- listen and take notes (write down anything that seems important, including relevant quotes)
- record descriptive details (describe the scene including actions by participants and their physical descriptions)
- ask questions (the best way to get information from an interview subject is from a one-on-one encounter but if that is not possible, ask as many questions as possible during the Q&A setting)

After the event:
- fact check all relevant information
- conduct follow up interviews if necessary
- use only relevant quotes in your story and don't make the quotes too long winded