1. Define the geography before you define the story
St. John is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri. That relationship matters because a story can be relevant to people in the municipality, the county, a wider Missouri audience, or more than one of those groups. A responsible news program should therefore avoid treating “St. John” as a substitute for every nearby geography. Bosseo’s public Legal News description says stories are matched to a firm’s practice areas and state. For your firm, the review should test whether the proposed coverage also explains the geographic audience you intend to serve.
Recommended approach
Set a written geographic rule before reviewing topics: St. John only, St. Louis County, Missouri statewide, or a documented combination. Ask to see how a story’s place, legal issue and intended reader will be represented in the page title, copy and call to action.
