Using Google maps to make council stories more interesting

Reporting on local councils can be a dry business, propping open your eyes and sinking yet another coffee during an Economic & Culture Scrutiny Committee is not the most exciting part of being a reporter – but it’s necessary. Journalists need to be holding local council’s to account and being at planning, licensing and other meetings is part of the job.

However, the stories about a new block of flats or a new air quality management area aren’t always the most exciting. So, how do you spice them up a little? The web allows us to quickly and easily add maps into our stories to give a sense of scale for readers. Read the rest of this entry »