One more good reason to meet us in Raleigh

Have you noticed the press room at your friendly local legislature getting a little roomier? You’re not imagining it. Big newspapers have fewer people on watch and some smaller papers have retrenched entirely from statehouse coverage.
But if you join us in Raleigh for Capitolbeat 2008, you can hear from someone who is investing in [...]

If you can’t beat ‘em…

So you’re get tired of covering the scalawags who run your state – now what?
One option: become one of the scalawags who run your state.
From the Wall Street Journal:
Novice politician Sean Tevis spent two weeks trudging door to door through the outskirts of Kansas City, touting his qualifications for the Kansas state Legislature, and what [...]

You can’t win…

Here in the Land of Lincoln, an old state lottery ad had the memorable catchphrase, “You’ve got to play to win!”
It’s the same with the Capitolbeat reporting contest. You can’t win one of the awards unless you send in your best reporting work.
So fill out the entry form, and turn in your clips, CDs, etc., [...]

New Address for College Reporting Contest

To all you budding journalists who want to submit their standout work to Capitolbeat’s 2008 College Reporting Contest, there’s a new address for your entries.
With the postmark deadline still Sept. 10, please follow the entry rules and guidelines found here and mail your materials to:
Capitolbeat College Contest
c/o Larry Messina
1599 Quarrier St.
Charleston, WV 25311

LaPlante honored by NCSL

From a press release from NCSL:
DENVER – To honor a long-time Louisiana state house reporter and bureau chief, the National Conference of State Legislatures is re-naming its press room at the 2008 Legislative Summit after John LaPlante.
LaPlante, who passed away in April 2007, covered Louisiana politics and government for more than three decades. As the [...]

Calling for contest entries!

It’s time to dust off those clips (or tapes or CDs and DVDs) and get ready to enter Capitolbeat’s annual contest.
Deadline for entries is Aug. 1.
Nowhere else will you find a contest devoted to you, the statehouse reporter. If the Capitol or a state agency is on your beat, this contest was made for you.
So, [...]