At a time of political volatility in the US, one local news publisher is adopting a different approach to how they cover local elections.

With mayoral elections on the horizon in Mansfield, Ohio, Richland Source has been organising 'Talk The Vote' events over the past month for residents attend and discuss what they want from their prospective new officials.

In this week's podcast, engagement and solutions editor, Richland Source, Brittany Schock explains how this is an opportunity for editorial to publish a citizen's agenda which will be used to hold local power to account, breaking away from the typical 'horse race' approach.

While it is not straight-forward to manage these events, Schock said it is a worthwhile chance to cultivate a relationship with your readers. She also provides some ground rules, ice breakers and learning curves for anyone else thinking of giving it a go.

Save the date: our Newsrewired conference takes place on 27 November at Reuters, London. Head to newsrewired.com for the full agenda and tickets

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).