1. Define the geographic boundary before a story is written
The Census record identifies Lake Norman of Catawba as a CDP in Catawba County. That relationship matters because a page about an event in the CDP is not automatically a page about every community in the county, the Charlotte metropolitan area or North Carolina. A legal-news program should preserve the actual location named in a source and distinguish it from the firm’s broader service area. Population eligibility can support deciding whether the place belongs in a coverage plan; it cannot establish that residents are searching, that a topic is competitive or that a page will generate an inquiry.
Recommended approach
Create a geographic policy before approving coverage. Decide when a story is specifically about Lake Norman of Catawba, when it concerns Catawba County, and when statewide coverage is appropriate. Require each page to identify the relevant jurisdiction without implying that a countywide or statewide event occurred in the CDP. Review whether the firm serves individuals and households in the location, and use those terms accurately rather than treating them as interchangeable with population.
