Our weekly roundup of news found at the intersection of media, politics, policy and technology, from the Shorenstein Center and from around the web.
This Week at the Shorenstein Center
Celebrating the Shorenstein Center’s 30th Anniversary. September 27 marked the 30th anniversary of the dedication of the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University. It is fitting that the anniversary of the Center follows the most-watched debate in presidential history, rivaling the Super Bowl. Despite a multitude of changes in media and the political process during the past 30 years, the Center’s mission remains as relevant and crucial to the health of democracy as ever. We take a look back at the Center’s founding mission and some photos from our archives.
Patrick Ruffini: Trump and the Future of the Republican Party. Patrick Ruffini, co-founder and partner of Echelon Insights, a political research and analytics firm, discussed the September 26 presidential debate, the challenges facing the Republican Party, polling, and many other topics in a conversation with Shorenstein Center director Nicco Mele. Listen to audio and read highlights.
News from Our Fellows
Our current and former fellows weighed in on the debate, polling, and race relations this week.
In Debate Questions, Race Should Be at the Top of the List. In advance of the debate, Derrick Z. Jackson, fall 2016 Joan Shorenstein Fellow, called on Lester Holt to grill the candidates about how they would tackle racial issues.
How Lester Holt’s Limitations as Enforcer and Fact-Checker Triggered His Success as Moderator. Bill Mitchell, fall 2009 fellow, writes that Holt “succeeded in letting the candidates reveal themselves in ways that would never have unfolded in more orderly proceedings.”
Trump Flaunts his Sexism at Debate. Melinda Henneberger, spring 2013 fellow, writes about Trump’s “determination to put off women, who already favor Hillary Clinton by 13 points.”
Trump vs. Clinton: A Fundamental Clash over How the Economy Works. Zachary Karabell, fall 1997 fellow, writes how Trump “sees the world in zero-sum terms—when one person or one country wins, another always loses,” while Clinton “sees the world as a place where all boats can rise at once,” with this difference being the essence of the election.
The Only Poll That Matters Is the One on U.S. Election Day—All Other Polls Are Concoctions. Diane Francis, fall 2005 fellow, argues that problems with methodology and the media’s eagerness to distribute questionable polls have rendered polls useless.
Another Way Trump Could Flunk the Electoral College. Walter Shapiro, spring 2005 fellow, describes how Trump’s path to victory in the Electoral College may be very narrow.
New Smithsonian Museum Confronts Race “to Make America Better.” Michele Norris, spring 2015 fellow, and the museum’s director, Lonnie Bunch, discuss the museum’s mission to “take an unflinching look at the darkest chapters in American history.”
Asymmetry between the Major Parties Fries the Circuits of the Mainstream Press. Jay Rosen, spring 1994 fellow, shares a list of six principles that he views as governing the behavior of the press during the 2016 election cycle—and writes that “if journalists are to rise to the occasion in the final six weeks of this campaign, they will have to find a style of coverage as irregular as Trump’s political style.”
Election Coverage and Commentary
How to Do Good Journalism between Now and Election Day, from Poynter.
How NPR Fact-Checked the First Presidential Debate in Real Time, on Top of a Live Transcript, from Nieman Lab.
Why Don’t Media Outlets Get Out of the Online Polling Business Entirely? From Mediaite.
New Snapchat Channel to Look at Final Leg of Presidential Campaign, from The New York Times.
How We Used Texting to Engage Arizona Delegates During the Political Conventions, from MediaShift.
USA Today Network Launches Get-Out-The-Vote Campaign, from Politico.
Expect a Fresh Debate Storyline from the Same Donald Trump, from Columbia Journalism Review.
For Some Newspapers, Endorsing Clinton Means Losing Subscribers, from The New York Times.
Teachable Moments at the Presidential Debate at Hofstra, from MediaShift.
Partisan Media
Partisans Disagree on News Media’s Best, Worst Traits, from Pew Research Center.
How Donald Trump Set Off a Civil War within the Right-Wing Media, from The New York Times.
Business and Audience Engagement
YouTube Claims 2 Million Debate Viewers, from Broadcasting & Cable.
Cable News’ Election-Year Haul Could Reach $2.5 Billion, from Politico.
Why the Trump-Clinton Debate Ratings Were Both Historic — and a Little Disappointing, from Vox.
Social Media
Monday Night Ranks as the “Most Tweeted Debate Ever,” from CNN.
4chan and Reddit Bombarded Debate Polls to Declare Trump the Winner, from The Daily Dot.
Trump Campaign Unveils “Crooked Hillary” Snapchat Filter before Debate, from Mashable.
Facebook Says Suspension of Libertarian Groups Was an “Error,” from BuzzFeed News.
Facebook Is Being Taken Somewhere It Never Wanted to Go, from Columbia Journalism Review.
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