Excitement is in the air for newly admitted students into the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication who will prepare to face course enrollment for the Spring 2026 semester. Students enrolling in reporting courses may face being tasked with coverage of a city meeting in the semester. Here are some things one should keep in mind.

1. Do research to understand what’s happening. Look through as many documents as you can to get an idea of what will be discussed based on what has been going on in the past meetings. Find the past and upcoming meeting agendas, meeting minutes and supporting documents. Additionally, getting a general understanding of the common terminology that’s used will help you to follow along better during the meeting discussion.

2. Be inquisitive about the little details. Atlanta Journal-Constitution senior sports editor for high school sports and college football, Caitlyn Stroh-Page, uses the example of confirming statistics from self-reported websites, like Max Preps, with opposing teams. Stroh-Page describes Max Preps as “a great guide post” and uses her curiosity to gather more information. It is resourceful to use your curiosity as a tool.

3. Never underestimate the power of statistics. Data can be vital to understanding certain aspects of a meeting. Athens bureau chief for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fletcher Page, says data collection is “all about strengthening your story”. Keep an eye out for different numbers throughout the meeting and take note of their impact on the meeting.

4. Speak up when necessary and ask for clarification. Clinical assistant professor and editor of The Oglethorpe Echo, Andy Johnston, and student reporters for The Oglethorpe Echo attended an Oakville County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. Johnston said “they rewrote a complicated code about rezoning” during the meeting and afterwards a student asked for an explanation in simple terms to make her explanation easy for readers to understand. 

These meetings are frequently filled with discussion about large concepts like budgets, regulations and proposals. Within these conversations, there may be terminology that may seem unfamiliar or too complex to easily explain. If any topics bring about a sense of confusion, ask questions to ensure that you can give the readers a clear sense and summation of what was discussed.