Let’s take a brief look at the problem with political reporting. First, I read a story by the Associated Press explaining why the Democratic brand is “toxic” in many largely white rural areas in the United States. It included … Read more
For the four years President Donald Trump was in office, political journalists covered an administration that repeatedly attacked the press, calling them the “enemy of the people,” and which … Read more
As Patrick Marley moved down the queue of voters lined up near a high school in Madison, some of his interviewees had to shout. Six feet apart is not ideal for a personal conversation about politics, especially on the … Read more
On April 7, 2020 a new slogan began circulating on Twitter during the Wisconsin Democratic primary: “Vote and Die.” The slogan is a play on “Vote or Die,” a 2004 American voter mobilization campaign, championed by rapper Sean “P. Diddy” … Read more
Armed with expansive emergency powers, many of the nation’s governors are placing unprecedented restrictions on our lives to slow the spread of the coronavirus. They have closed schools, shut down huge numbers of businesses, and ordered people to stay in … Read more
These days, if it’s 4:59 in Kentucky, people across the state are racing to tune in. No matter the local news carrier — from Pikeville in the east to Paducah in the west—it’s pretty much a given that your television, … Read more
One of the biggest goals for the U.S. journalism industry in covering the 2020 election is to not repeat its mistakes from the 2016 election. So what steps are journalists taking to fulfill that? The industry of 2019 is different … Read more
The U.S. presidential election may be a year and a half away, but polls are already ranking—and rankling—the still-developing field of 2020 candidates, prompting familiar, biennial pleadings for journalists to resist the siren call of horse-race journalism and keep their … Read more
While reporting on the 2018 midterm elections in July, NPR reporter Asma Khalid went to Georgia to talk to African-American voters. Knowing she had been interviewing Republicans a few days before, “they wanted to know … Read more
Donald Trump and the GOP may lack a coherent governing agenda, but they have no doubt about their electoral strategy: Run against the media. The campaign against the media is not simply a reflection of the president’s notoriously thin skin … Read more