A few questions and answers from the session....
Is who makes the most money really the best way to choose how you'll spread coverage around?
-- Sweet: Obama is a hometown guy; some candidates got more coverage than they deserved because they were interesting, etc.
There's not enough decoding of what is actually meant (should be done by reporters). There are not enough voices of color giving analysis or commenting (to give context like this).
The majority of top reporters covering politics at news outlets are white men over 50, says Jodi.
What do you read, watch, listen to, or not?
Felice: Loves Maureen Dowd, the Politico
Lynn: Mike Allen's Playbook at Politico, The Page (an aggregated site that looks at what moves the day), CBS/ABC aggregates, NYT, Wash Post, Chicago Sun-Times, and the links on her blog. She doesn't pay attention to one on one interviews. She needs places giving lots of information synthesized.
Beth: Mike Allen's Playbook, CNN, NYT for general coverage and Slate's XX Factor
Ann: Michele Cotta from the Republic, Rebecca Traister at Salon
Can the Obama campaign sustain the interest and energy?
Yes, they can sustain the energy, but will the young people who have mobilized for him really vote?? That's the question, said Beth. Lynn Sweet: Term Obama uses is "intensity gap" -- they say they're ahead of McCain. Palin revs up Repubs the way Obama has done for the Dems.
Places like the Politico don't have the same resource base as the old media institutions -- are there going to be journos covering political campaigns in a new media world? What's our strategy to keep the journalism in the campaign?
Beth said they're doing partnerships with papers like St. Paul Pioneer Press and Denver Post. Also launching Politico network -- content and ad revenue sharing program that will launch on Tuesday. It all has to do with marketing and advertising. Can't see advertising is our enemy.
Showing posts with label election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label election. Show all posts
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Quality Campaign Reporting?
Best predictor was the money collected in the first quarter of the election primary. Two Dems were ahead of everyone else: Obama and Clinton. That shaped coverage, said Sweet.
Is that how life should be?
Money chase meant two candidates could expand -- have local offices, etc. -- can't fault press for paying attention to who's getting paid (or donations). Plus, the Media found coverage could be a marketing decision: put Obama or Clinton on a cover and you'll sell issues.
There was no superstar Republican candidate.
Frerking:
She felt the sexism when she started covering the Hillary campaign. There were people on the bus who she had respect for that said they don't believe sentimental moments at all. People didn't believe the now-infamous teary eyed moment in the coffee shop during Clinton's campaign.
All political coverage is more complex than we think.
Ann Friedman:
Having women in the race has made a difference in getting a female voice onto larger platforms. That's important and points to the stats that say when women run, more women vote.
Is that how life should be?
Money chase meant two candidates could expand -- have local offices, etc. -- can't fault press for paying attention to who's getting paid (or donations). Plus, the Media found coverage could be a marketing decision: put Obama or Clinton on a cover and you'll sell issues.
There was no superstar Republican candidate.
Frerking:
She felt the sexism when she started covering the Hillary campaign. There were people on the bus who she had respect for that said they don't believe sentimental moments at all. People didn't believe the now-infamous teary eyed moment in the coffee shop during Clinton's campaign.
All political coverage is more complex than we think.
Ann Friedman:
Having women in the race has made a difference in getting a female voice onto larger platforms. That's important and points to the stats that say when women run, more women vote.
Beth Frerking: Speed is of the essence
It's huge, Frerking said.
Pace for The Politico is relentless. And is essential. Good thing is that with the bloggers, they are transparent. (Edwards deciding whether to stay in the race or not, a Politico blogger got a bogus tip. Read about it here. But the blogger, Ben, also was transparent about what he did wrong.)
Go behind the curtain. Tell us what's behind the curtain. Interesting convos about politics happen when reporters go to lunch and talk about what's REALLY happening on the campaign trail.
We should be telling those stories.
Pace for The Politico is relentless. And is essential. Good thing is that with the bloggers, they are transparent. (Edwards deciding whether to stay in the race or not, a Politico blogger got a bogus tip. Read about it here. But the blogger, Ben, also was transparent about what he did wrong.)
Go behind the curtain. Tell us what's behind the curtain. Interesting convos about politics happen when reporters go to lunch and talk about what's REALLY happening on the campaign trail.
We should be telling those stories.
Lynn Sweet
The travelling press often gets advance information for "planning purposes."
"There is nothing that happens at a fully blown national campaign that isn't done for their purpose."
A lot of what you see and hear on a daily basis from the campaign comes from pool reports. (Apparently, however, not Lynn. Yesterday, she was writing a story -- she's the primary Obama reporter -- as the rest of us were eating dinner.)
Candidate is not accessible every minute when you are traveling with them. Special service agents were all around Obama early on.
"There is nothing that happens at a fully blown national campaign that isn't done for their purpose."
A lot of what you see and hear on a daily basis from the campaign comes from pool reports. (Apparently, however, not Lynn. Yesterday, she was writing a story -- she's the primary Obama reporter -- as the rest of us were eating dinner.)
Candidate is not accessible every minute when you are traveling with them. Special service agents were all around Obama early on.
Election Roundtable
Here's what we're supposed to be talking about:
"Hear election coverage stories from JAWS women on the front lines and back in the newsroom. What's it like to be on the road with the candidates? What have the media covered well/poorly? How does coverage of this campaign compare to that of campaigns past?"
Moderator: Jodi Enda, vet political reporter and freelance journalist/program planner, Knight Center for specialized journalism
Beth Frerking -- Asst. managing editor, Politico
Ann Friedman -- Deputy editor, The American Prospect
Felice Belman -- Editor, Concord Monitor
Lynn Sweet -- Washington Bureau Chief, Chicago Sun-Times
Felice is telling us about what it's like to be at the center of election coverage, here in New Hampshire. The editorial board was split for a long time, so they called Clinton in, then later Obama, and then Bill Clinton came in. Obama then called and said, "hey, do you want Michelle's cell phone number?"
Early on, there are also lots of missteps by the candidates. Denis Kucinich refused to eat any food from a vegan potluck because, as Felice said, "he was persnickety." This is what they do when they think no one is looking?
"Hear election coverage stories from JAWS women on the front lines and back in the newsroom. What's it like to be on the road with the candidates? What have the media covered well/poorly? How does coverage of this campaign compare to that of campaigns past?"
Moderator: Jodi Enda, vet political reporter and freelance journalist/program planner, Knight Center for specialized journalism
Beth Frerking -- Asst. managing editor, Politico
Ann Friedman -- Deputy editor, The American Prospect
Felice Belman -- Editor, Concord Monitor
Lynn Sweet -- Washington Bureau Chief, Chicago Sun-Times
Felice is telling us about what it's like to be at the center of election coverage, here in New Hampshire. The editorial board was split for a long time, so they called Clinton in, then later Obama, and then Bill Clinton came in. Obama then called and said, "hey, do you want Michelle's cell phone number?"
Early on, there are also lots of missteps by the candidates. Denis Kucinich refused to eat any food from a vegan potluck because, as Felice said, "he was persnickety." This is what they do when they think no one is looking?
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