Jill Lawrence and Mark Stencel discuss the changes technology has brought to campaign 2008
The most interesting thing I got from the "Campaign 2008: An endless cycle" was listening first hand to those who had been covering the elections process for years have changed their journalistic practices.
A lot of technological advancements can happen in the four years between elections and I think the speakers really brought this point out well. Jill Lawrence, the national political correspondent for USA Today spoke of her political blog and the speed in which she can document events.
Blogs bring speed and audience interaction but they also pose dilemmas for some in the newsroom. I found it interesting to listen to a perspective from someone working inside the newsroom as it offered a fresh example to blogging.
Lawrence explained that there are now so many blogs on USA today it is impossible to have them all proof by someone other than the writer. There is just not the staff numbers or the time to do this. This means mistakes will be made and inaccurate information sometimes posted.
Lawrence argued that it is impossible for her to answer all of the questions blogged. Sometimes an article can generate over 2,000 comments; a reply number even superman would struggle to fit into his daily schedule.
It was also interesting to see the added pressure an election campaign can bring to a journalist. Mark Stencel, deputy publisher of Governing magazine, talked about the national narrative and the structural drive that journalists follow to stick to this narrative.
“If you are on a bus or plane and are following this candidate around, you have to file a story…and one of the first lessons that you got taught in your news class is that news is what’s new. So there is this narrative drive that takes over the process.”
During elections, Stencel argues journalists are on an endless treadmill to face the narrative.”
It was fitting that while these speakers spoke of their experiences with technology, Journalist students from UMass put their skills to the test. Journalism lecturer BJ Roche "really got a big kick out of it."
"All the students were either taking pictures or video taping it or using their audio thing so im really thrilled that students are going all in on the multimedia track."
The most interesting thing I got from the "Campaign 2008: An endless cycle" was listening first hand to those who had been covering the elections process for years have changed their journalistic practices.
A lot of technological advancements can happen in the four years between elections and I think the speakers really brought this point out well. Jill Lawrence, the national political correspondent for USA Today spoke of her political blog and the speed in which she can document events.
Blogs bring speed and audience interaction but they also pose dilemmas for some in the newsroom. I found it interesting to listen to a perspective from someone working inside the newsroom as it offered a fresh example to blogging.
Lawrence explained that there are now so many blogs on USA today it is impossible to have them all proof by someone other than the writer. There is just not the staff numbers or the time to do this. This means mistakes will be made and inaccurate information sometimes posted.
Lawrence argued that it is impossible for her to answer all of the questions blogged. Sometimes an article can generate over 2,000 comments; a reply number even superman would struggle to fit into his daily schedule.
It was also interesting to see the added pressure an election campaign can bring to a journalist. Mark Stencel, deputy publisher of Governing magazine, talked about the national narrative and the structural drive that journalists follow to stick to this narrative.
“If you are on a bus or plane and are following this candidate around, you have to file a story…and one of the first lessons that you got taught in your news class is that news is what’s new. So there is this narrative drive that takes over the process.”
During elections, Stencel argues journalists are on an endless treadmill to face the narrative.”
It was fitting that while these speakers spoke of their experiences with technology, Journalist students from UMass put their skills to the test. Journalism lecturer BJ Roche "really got a big kick out of it."
"All the students were either taking pictures or video taping it or using their audio thing so im really thrilled that students are going all in on the multimedia track."
Jennifer Jean-Baptise practices what she has learned in class
This conference was held on Wednesday March 26 and featured a panel discussion by Jill Lawrence, national political correspondent for USA Today, Mark Stencel, deputy publisher of Governing magazine, and Mary Carey, political reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
This conference was held on Wednesday March 26 and featured a panel discussion by Jill Lawrence, national political correspondent for USA Today, Mark Stencel, deputy publisher of Governing magazine, and Mary Carey, political reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
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