With less than four months before voters in the U.S. decide on their next president, Americans as it stands now have a familiar choice in front of them – with much at stake.
The Republican and Democratic national conventions, held in mid-July and mid-August, respectively, loom large as the election season’s next major events. Following on the heels of a much-derided debate performance by President Biden in late June that has him fending off calls to step aside, and former President Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in late May, the conventions promise journalists a rich variety of stories to pursue and sources to connect with.
"Even though there's a zillion other reporters running around, and even though the conventions are very scripted, and [...] even though our access as reporters may in some ways be more limited than the past, I'm very curious to see what [they] look like,” said Craig Gilbert, political columnist and former Washington Bureau Chief at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, during an IJNet Crisis Reporting Forum session held in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Foley Foundation, Marquette University and Northwestern University.
Joining Gilbert to share advice for reporters to effectively and safely navigate the conventions were Elena Schneider, national political reporter at POLITICO covering President Biden’s 2024 reelection bid; recent Marquette University graduate and former executive editor of the Marquette Wire student newspaper, Hope Moses; and Katherine Jacobsen, CPJ’s U.S. and Canada program coordinator.
Here are the key takeaways:
Planning ahead
It’s important to have a reporting plan heading into the conventions.
The multi-day events offer a multitude of story opportunities, including the scheduled speeches and offstage activities such as fundraisers, community events and media panels. Not to mention any protests that might occur.
“If you don't go in with that mission, with that strategy and with that plan, a convention can be totally paralyzing because there's just so much activity going on around you,” said Gilbert, who covered his first convention in 1992.
With so many other reporters also chasing stories, devising a strategy to ensure your coverage stands out and engages your newsroom’s audience is important.
Know the basics, too, including key figures and top issues that figure to be addressed. Take the rumors of who Trump might select as his running mate, suggested Moses. Research ahead of time to identify those under consideration and get to know their political backgrounds, where they stand on major issues, and more.
Learning from history
Revisiting past conventions can provide a baseline for what to expect this year.
“You may not have been at the 2012 or 2016 or 2004 convention, but I think it's helpful to revisit those conventions going into this convention to have sort of an historical baseline," said Gilbert.
Most starkly, in the throes of COVID-19 four years ago, the DNC was held virtually. And the RNC, controversially, was held at the White House. Keep a running list for yourself of how this year’s events differ, as well as how the parties’ politics have evolved.
For example, when Trump ran in 2016, his support among Republicans was much more fractured than it is today. “Delegates and officials had not supported Donald Trump in the [2016] primaries; some of them hadn't even endorsed him by the time of the convention,” said Gilbert. “Obviously, it's a very different story today.”
The host cities and states of the conventions can also inspire coverage ideas. In Wisconsin, which has been a battleground state for years, suburban voters, especially around the state’s biggest city of Milwaukee, who historically have leaned Republican have moved away from the party in recent years.
“They're getting less Republican, and what happens is this sort of suburban trend away from the Republican party is a huge part of the battle for states like Wisconsin," explained Gilbert.
[Read more: Covering the Republican National Convention (RNC)]
Tracking internal dynamics
Conventions are an opportunity for the parties to present their most compelling narratives to solidify existing support and gain new backing.
The internal dynamics at play will matter just as much, noted Schneider. Reporters will have the opportunity to gauge how party delegates and elected officials feel about the candidates as well as their party’s strategies and priorities.
For example, there might be interesting sentiment to track at the Republican convention regarding the calls among Democrats for Biden to step aside. “There's been a lot of speculation that Republicans don't want the Democrats to change their nominee. It will be interesting to take the temperature of Republican delegates on that question,” Gilbert said.
At the upcoming DNC, unlike four years ago, reporters will be able to approach attendees and party delegates face-to-face. It’s a valuable opportunity to meet people in person, ask them questions, and gather their contact information to strengthen your source network, Schneider said: “These opportunities don't necessarily come around all that often, and I think that there are just going to be enormous amounts of activities and volume of people in one place and so use that to your advantage.”
Biden’s nomination
The fallout from Biden’s debate performance in late June, including calls for him to step aside from some Democratic elected officials, donors and more, is an evolving story.
“Every day we're trying to report out more and more how party leaders, particularly Democratic elected officials, feel about the president and supporting his reelection bid right now,” said Schneider.
While at present Biden has said he is determined to continue to stand as the Democratic Party’s 2024 Presidential nominee, journalists need to be as prepared as possible for all scenarios.
If Biden were to drop out of the race, “suddenly our lives become a lot more interesting and a lot more unknown as to how this would go forward,” said Schneider.
Journalists should understand how the process of choosing a nominee would occur in this scenario, when the vast majority of primary votes have already been cast for Biden. It would be up to DNC delegates to nominate someone in his place; they would become “uncommitted” and free to vote for another candidate.
In another wrinkle this year, the Democrats’ nomination process is planned to occur virtually ahead of the convention, meaning that a nominee will already be selected by the time the party gathers in person in Chicago, explained Schneider.
“This is really uncharted territory in a modern context,” she noted.
Engaging young voters and marginalized communities
Polls show that many young voters remain undecided on their vote, and that members of marginalized communities appear less likely to support the Democratic ticket than in recent elections.
Engaging these audiences with reporting that informs about the issues and developments on the ground will be critical.
“We have a very important role in the voting process by helping people understand political issues and conversations happening so that they can make the most informed choices for themselves,” said Moses.
Understand where your audience is getting their news, too, and formats that work best in reaching them. Young people rely more on social media, for instance, and Moses suggested publishing explainer pieces with digestible, accessible information.
Speaking with local activists and community members in attendance can help bridge coverage gaps, as well. “It's going to be important to be intentional about who you speak to and the stories that you tell,” Moses added.
[Read more: Tips to avoid horse race coverage and both-sides reporting during elections]
Delving beneath the surface
Horse-race coverage in politics often dominates – but it can fail to inform voters about the issues truly at stake in an election.
Assess how the parties and elected officials are using language and describing their priorities, for instance. “Where each party is declaring their sort of policy stances could yield some really interesting stories about how those positions have changed, who's arguing over what," Schneider said. “That's where you're going to find a lot of really interesting tension around particular policy issues.”
Polls can also be a helpful starting point for stories. There is polling of Wisconsin voters conducted by Marquette, for instance, that allows you to select data to focus on, with cross tabs to analyze different segments of the electorate and their attitudes on issues.
“So much of what makes polling interesting at this point is not actually the top-line numbers,” Schneider said. “It's everything beneath the surface and using those pieces of data to then go find the constituencies that help explain it.“
Addressing mis- and disinformation
Disinformation is pervasive these days, and false content around the election is no different.
In the context of the conventions, address false information on a case-by-case basis, suggested Gilbert. “If all of us spent all of our time – and we could spend all of our time – knocking down false claims, you wouldn't have time to do anything else, and then a lot of your reporting mission would just go undone,” he said.
Mis- and disinformation can have trickle-down effects for journalists’ safety, cautioned Jacobsen. It can lead to misunderstandings of what journalists are doing, cause confusion, and undermine trust in them.
“[It] undercuts reporters' security because if people don't believe you and think that you're not doing your job correctly, there's less respect and there's a less safe environment in which to operate,” she said.
Staying safe
Amid all of the reporting journalists will be doing at the conventions, they must prioritize their own safety and wellbeing.
“Prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Jacobsen said. “The horrible scenarios hopefully won’t happen, but it's really good to have contingency plans, have exit plans and prepare ahead of time for what might come.”
As journalists, it is important to think of three different types of safety: digital, physical and psychological, she advised.
Think of online vulnerabilities as all the information that is available about you on the internet. Open a private browsing window and Google yourself to get a sense of what is out there. “Do you have any old social media posts that might be inflammatory or kind of undermine your reporting? Or do you have pictures of a beach vacation where you had too much fun?” said Jacobsen. “These might seem innocuous but in the wrong context these images or tweets or whatever could be used against you or used to undermine your reporting or your newsroom.”
Protect your information by adjusting social media privacy settings, employing two-factor authentication for online accounts, and using services like DeleteMe to remove personal data from the internet. Strategize with your editors and other relevant colleagues ahead of time, too. Establish check-in procedures with them, and an exit plan.
“We advise checking in with editors ahead of time to figure out what newsroom protocol is for dealing with online harassment, and to discuss also if there are certain groups that become activated online when journalists cover them or certain topics of interest,” said Jacobsen.
When on location, learn the lay of the land and plan what to bring. In the event of protests, wear comfortable shoes, carry your press pass and avoid wearing prominent media logos. “Recognizing the contentious environment that we're in right now might mean that it's best not to advertise to the world that you are a journalist from a great distance,” said Jacobsen. “Though, you should still obviously inform people that you are a journalist when the situation arises.”
Research how police have dispersed crowds in the past, such as with pepper spray. While on the ground, be mindful of shifts in behavior by law enforcement and protesters; if a situation evolves, remove yourself from it as quickly as you can. There are also legal resources available for journalists in case they are detained or face any legal challenges.
Journalists’ mental wellbeing should be a top priority throughout, urged Jacobsen. The Dart Center offers a variety of mental health resources that journalists should familiarize themselves with.
And importantly, during and in between your reporting, take time to decompress: “Make sure you give yourself time to rest and process what's going on.”
Note: This Forum session was held before the assassination attempt on former President Trump on July 13.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.