Today The Uptake, a Minnesota based cit-jo initiative, is offering a multimedia powerhouse live from the state canvassing board meeting. It’s a great way to watch the most recent step in the prolonged post-election that the once conventional Al Franken-Norm Coleman Senate battle has become.
At the top of the page, the Uptake is streaming a live feed from the state house. Below, a vertical Twitter feed provides commentary and analysis from the Uptake’s writers and amateur count-watchers alike. But the best touch has to be that they’ve worked out a way to clickably-embed the ballot that the board is weighing in real time. As they talk, you can judge.
Talking Points Memo’s Eric Kleefield dropped in via twitter to note that he “must say i admire how these five people from different political backgrounds are doing this in a professional and friendly manner.”
Indeed, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is evenly taking the team through ballot by ballot, with a decent amount of good cheer–occasional grimaces of mock frustration, a pat on Ritchie’s back from the committee member to his right, cookies being passed around.
Over at the Star Tribune‘s recount blog, the writing tends to be fuller–because the paper is streaming video on a separate page, leaving the words alone to tell the story.
Here’s a Twittered take on that from David Brauer of the online only MinnPost:
Cyber-faux pas. Strib is livestreaming on one page and blogging on another. FAIL.
Having seen The Uptake’s set up I’d have to say that’s true. But is it nice?
Clint Hendler is the managing editor of Mother Jones, and a former deputy editor of CJR.