William March’s speech on political reporting was not only informative, but he had solid evidence of the power of public records with the article he brought to the class. All the information he had was almost to much to absorb in one sitting. Tracking campaign contributions, politicians’ voting records, and people’s personal information that’s available for public record can get pretty deep and technical.
What amazed me the most was the rules regarding voter registration records. It is possible to see someone’s voter’s registration, including their party affiliation, but not to obtain a copy of it unless you purchase it as part of a campaign or a party. You are also able to see if the person cast a ballot, although of course you cannot see what they voted for.
Sites like AutoTrack, CQMoneyLine, and OpenSecrets are valuable ammo for investigative reporters. While I knew about campaign contribution limits, and the difference between a campaign commercial and a 527, I hadn’t considered the possibility that companies might offer “bonuses” to their employees and then coerce them to donate that money to a political campaign. Even with all the finance reform that has been enacted, it still seems like PAC’s and special interests dominate politics, and that most of the candidates for public office have their own fairly deep pockets to help get them started.
This is why I disagree with my classmate’s position on why campaign contributions shouldn’t be limited. While it would be transparent if one person or group donated large sums of money, it would seem to create a sort of economic divide. While large sums of money would be noticeable, it would still create a type of economic disparity between those could afford a $1,000 donation and a $5,000 donation, or a $10,000 donation.
The other important part of political reporting is presenting an unbiased view. Whether one is Democrat, Republican, or Independent, they need to be able to examine politicians and candidates with a critical and objective eye, so the readers get all the facts.
Meet you further up the road,
Brentin
Read “March On Politics”, William March’s blog