Just got word via Twitter from Lansing (MI) Mayor Virg Bernero that our City Council voted down a controversial proposal to sell a city parking ramp.
This is Mayor Virg Bernero's Twitter about the parking garage vote.
What’s neat is that Bernero used micro-blogging to get the word out before the 11 p.m. news and before any bulletin from the Lansing State Journal. Of course, there’s minimum detail, but citizens following the mayor on Twitter know the outcome.
Now, it would be nice if the mayor and city council members had blogs so residents would get more details and points of view on a very divisive issue.
Our local paper gives minimum coverage to city hall activities. It’s time for a new paradigm for city government coverage.
Anybody know what other cities are doing?
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Wes,
I’m really glad you posted this. I have been working on improving WKAR’s coverage of city hall, but it’s a nearly impossible task without support from other journalists. The City Pulse has also been aggressively covering City Hall.
I just started a test blog called City Beat, Lansing:
http://citybeatlansing.blogspot.com/
I’m also on twitter: robswkar
I’d love to get your thoughts on how I can do my job better and how media in general can cover city government more effectively.
Thanks for creating this blog.
Rob South, Producer/Reporter WKAR radio.
BTW – I announced the defeat of the ramp on Twitter before the vote was even taken.