I can still remember one of my first creator press trips. I was a blogger in the halcyon days of WordPress and was invited to speak at a conference where the mayor of the city would be appearing.
As a blogger, I was so excited to be invited to this conference, in this beautiful far-away city, with room and board and many meals paid for. I was feeling thankful and generous to be included in a group of independent creators that would get an audience with a politician. They wined and dined us the night before the event. Rose-colored glasses were definitely on.
And so, when the moment came to speak to the mayor, he received us as an audience of well-fed, tanned and happy travel bloggers. We asked about tourism, about best local foods and which landmarks to hit. It was only after listening to the chorus of cheers that I realized lots of talking points were missing.
Wasn’t there an area nearby where students had been harassed by police? Wasn’t this country in the throes of economic collapse? Our press event was just minutes from a public space where elders were setting themselves on fire in protest. But no one asked about that, and because the tone of the event was “look how cool this city is,” I felt out-of-touch and, frankly, like a bummer even thinking about these questions. And at the last-minute I raised my hand, but there wasn’t enough time to get to my question.
I eventually wrote that article. But it sits with me that I felt like asking a slightly tougher question was a bad idea at a blogger press conference. It can be intimidating to be the person asking a tough question when everyone else is happy to listen to the basics. But it’s our jobs as trusted community messengers to tell the entire story.
Today, creators are on the front lines of access to politicians, business owners and community leaders. And if we don’t ask the questions, who will? That follow-up question can add much-needed information, like time or date of a happening, context or history. It’s not a “gotcha” moment, and it isn’t rude. It’s a way to provide your audience with details they might not get otherwise. This is the chance to lean on the who, what, where, when, why and hows of a story.
It can be daunting to hold someone you agree with accountable, especially when you believe they are providing an important service during our time of political division. But, we hold others accountable because we want them to be at their best. That is especially true of our public servants. If you agree with a community leader or policy, it’s okay to share positive nuggets with your audience. Just be sure to tell them why. You’re not a talking head for a politician or company, so tell your audience the specifics of what you’re excited about. And always ask one more question, even for added context on the issue.
So next time you are invited to a space where it’s your turn to ask a question, remember that you can still have a great time at the event and make connections while digging a little deeper. It’s not a crime to ask just one more question.
Here are some ideas:
- Can you tell me more about what that budget will improve in [your district]?
- Do you have an idea of how [event] is impacting the local economy?
- Do you know how many jobs have been created by [event]?
- What do you mean by [phrase or number]?
- Why is this important?
- Can you give me an example of what you just mentioned?
- What are some down-sides to [program, event, budget]?
- Have you heard back from your constituents about this?
- What’s the biggest misconception about this?
- Can you explain that to me in common terms?
- How does this partnership or sponsorship impact the small businesses already operating here?
- Where are the ingredients sourced from, and has that changed recently?
- Who was consulted in developing this?
- How accessible is this for families across different income levels?
- What’s the timeline on this — when will people actually see results?