Wednesday, June 19, 2013. Last Update: Wed 6:50 AM EST

Campaign Desk

Looking for Lessons in the Swift Boat Saga

Is Ohio’s press corps prepared for the 2012 campaign?

OHIO — In 2004, it was the Swift Boat ads. Today in Ohio, we’ve seen the Swift Beard ads. During... More

On Bain Claims, Will Local Press Rise to the Challenge?

Connecting regional audiences to the national story is hard work. It’s also important.

COLORADO — When a big national story breaks, job one for a city or metro editor is to make it... More

Medicare Vouchers Explained

A conversation with the Brookings Institution’s Henry Aaron

In the Republican presidential debate Monday, Mitt Romney came out in favor of a "premium support program, which allows people... More

The Out-of-Context Quote as Gaffe

A closer look at coverage of “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me’”

NEW HAMPSHIRE — Michael Kinsley famously wrote that "A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth—some obvious truth he... More

Legal Immigrants Win in Massachusetts

But the political press misses the story

Today we begin a series of occasional posts that bring Campaign Desk readers up-to-date on the workings of Massachusetts health... More

In Florida, a Media Crush but Little News

Best coverage embeds Romney’s rally in more far-reaching reporting

FLORIDA — Reporters on either side of me were frantically jotting down quotes, desperately hoping that Mitt Romney would make... More

Gender Imbalance on the Campaign Trail

Voters skew female; reporters still do not

MANCHESTER, NH — The sea-green and white concrete gymnasium at Saint Anselm College was transformed this past Saturday night into... More

Nevadans Need a Closer Look at Romney’s Record

Some “facts and figures” might help make the Bain debate accessible to readers

NEVADA — There’s one critical question on the minds of many Nevadans these days: Will the jobs picture improve during... More

“Firing” your insurance in Romney’s Massachusetts

Romney’s remark Monday about firing your insurance company apparently harmed him little yesterday in the New Hampshire primary. But as... More

Primary Night on Elm Street

A nightmare assignment finally draws to a close

NEW HAMPSHIRE — Rich Girard, former Manchester alderman, is the host of Girard at Large, a Manchester-based current events talk... More

Why Might the Docs Be in a Fix?

A context-light, anecdote-heavy CNNMoney story fails to mention US’s high medical costs

Sacre bleu! Docs are going broke! Or so says CNNMoney in a story that is a great example of a... More

Twenty-Nine Hours on the Campaign Trail

And all I got was lost. (And, chicken fingers.)

NEW HAMPSHIRE — When covering New Hampshire, as with any primary, the general journalistic strategy is to trail the candidates... More

Political Reporters Must Be “Good Tour Guides”

A Denver Post column takes readers into the weeds

COLORADO — “Inside baseball” is a term journalists sometimes toss out when they’re deciding if an idea is story-worthy. “Is... More

Forget the Debates—Focus on the Air War!

Journalists are looking for attacks in all the wrong places

NEW HAMPSHIRE — Over the weekend, media coverage of the Republican presidential race focused on the lack of conflict in... More

Santorum Goes After Social Security

The AP covers Rick’s empty rhetoric

Noting the media’s trivial pursuit of rising star Rick Santorum, my colleague Erika Fry has called for more substantive reporting... More

Have you seen this column?

The disappearance of ‘Sports of the Times’

We’re the Uber of organ transplants

“Millennials need organ transplants that fit easily into their always-connected lifestyles”

‘What part of “Politico” do you not understand?’

A conversation about the dark art of driving the conversation

Julian Assange’s asylum stalemate no nearer resolution one year on

The Ecuadorean embassy’s celebrity refugee is used to living in what Assange likens to a space station as he battles extradition

CJR’s panel discussion on coverage of gay marriage

On the eve of two related SCOTUS decisions, how should journalists be covering the issue?

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