For Peck, it's never politics as usual

The editors said their biggest challenge is too many candidates in too many local elections and not enough resources to do the job.

"We have to get over the notion that we have to do it all ourselves," said Peck, who suggested editors find volunteers who are going to be at staged political events anyway and have them compile three- or four-paragraph summaries of what was said.

But wouldn't such an approach would mean a partisan supporter of a campaign would likely be the one "reporting?" Yes, Peck said, but balance could be achieved if there were a volunteer summarizing every political event. That would allow all voices to be heard, extend the number of people interested in the paper and would free up staff to do more meaningful, in-depth coverage.

Peck also endorsed the notion, made half-jokingly by one participant, that his paper stop running its voter guide, which often duplicates the coverage assembled by the non-partisan League of Women Voters.

"There are sources out there that are doing traditional coverage," Peck said. "Get it and use it. It's not doing the democracy any good to send out a reporter to write down regurgitation of what a candidate is saying in a staged event."

Other suggestions included the following:

"Do we go out and cover politics like we always have?" Peck asked. Or should editors re-think their traditional coverage plan with a new generation of readers in mind?

Find out what young people are thinking - This doesn't have to involve a big budget or a massive focus group. Peck suggested editors gather their young reporters and their friends and talk politics. "Look at big stories and localize them, but also give them a generational perspective. You can do that with everything you do."

Organize local meetings - Peck suggested inviting small groups of people who know each other to organize in groups of about 10, to discuss the issues that concern them, and send them a packet with surveys they can fill out to help the staff become better informed about what issues they should pay more attention to. The key is to let the electorate dominate the political agenda. "Don't let the candidates drive coverage of the three issues they want to ride to get elected."

Embrace blogs - Peck came out squarely in favor of reporter blogs, in spite of the controversy surrounding Sacramento Bee columnist Daniel Weinbtraub's unedited blog. If a blog helps bring attention to the newspaper's political coverage, it's a valuable tool for the paper, Peck said. But he then went a step further and suggested papers showcase local blogs and have a reporter who monitors the posts and reports on what's being said. "In your community you need to be the one to say, 'here's who's running the blogs in your town.'"