Friday, August 02, 2013. Last Update: Fri 11:00 AM EST

United States Project

Repaving the Trail

Campaign reporting can be terrible. Here’s how to make it better.

In January, I visited New Hampshire and Florida to report on the media coverage of the GOP presidential primaries there.... More

In Ohio, a Spotlight on Super PAC Ads

As a new campaign urges stations to reject misleading ads, how sharp is the conflict between conscience and cash?

OHIO — There was no escaping the blizzard of negative television and radio advertising assaulting the eyes and ears of... More

Context, and Political Theater, in North Carolina

Why the press needs to tell the parts of the story Obama won’t

NORTH CAROLINA — As the results of the Super Tuesday primaries put Republican candidates in the headlines, President Obama is... More

When JFK made Santorum sick

The press was too slow to supply the larger context

It has been more than a week since Rick Santorum went on the Sunday talk circuit and made news by... More

The World’s Dumbest Press Conference

How coverage of Joe Arpaio’s birtherism threatens to make the myth worse

NEW HAMPSHIRE — Last Tuesday, the New America Foundation released a report (PDF) I co-authored with Georgia State's Jason Reifler... More

A Laurel to the Toledo Blade

Paper challenges Romney on his manufacturing message

OHIO — There’s a well-known truism that you can’t have it both ways. But that’s never stopped politicians, especially in... More

In Michigan, Getting Beyond the ‘Class Divide’

HuffPost’s Blumenthal finds another good angle in the results

MICHIGAN — Election night demands instant coverage from reporters—not just to name a winner, but to define how voting patterns... More

Countering Misinformation: Tips for Journalists

Avoid negations, use graphics, and get the story right the first time!

This article was written by Brendan Nyhan and Jason Reifler. It is adapted from Misinformation and Fact-checking: Research Findings from... More

Who Opposed the Auto Bailouts?

Romney was hardly alone, despite what you read

MICHIGAN — Leading into today’s primary, Michigan journalists have focused on the bailouts for General Motors and Chrysler more than... More

In Michigan, Coverage of Romney’s Speech Goes Beyond That Empty Stadium

But focus on local storylines obscures some important national angles

MICHIGAN — On Twitter and the Web Friday afternoon, it was clear what about Mitt Romney’s address to the Detroit... More

As Primary Nears, It’s Time to Dig Deep in Ohio

Blade’s strong story on housing crisis offers a good model

OHIO — As Republican frontrunners Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum parachute into the Buckeye State and clog the airwaves with... More

What Santorum Didn’t Say

On “phony ideology,” some coverage misses a distinction

As he tries to cement his newfound position as a leader in the Republican presidential primary campaign, Rick Santorum has... More

The Elusive Hunt for the ‘Real Romney’

How the search for a politician’s true identity leads to pathological media coverage

Though he launched his first run for president more than five years ago, Mitt Romney is still widely seen as... More

At WFLA, Good Questions for Obama…

…but Tampa’s viewers deserved a more balanced report

FLORIDA — As I listened to the question being asked I started to groan a bit: “Yesterday you released your... More

KLAS-TV’s Eight Minutes With the President (and His Message)

On the housing crisis and souvenir M&Ms

NEVADA — All day long Tuesday, Las Vegas’s CBS affiliate, KLAS-TV, touted its exclusive, one-on-one interview with President Obama. In... More

Old TNR vs. New TNR

In one tweet

Luke Russert is the Golden Boy of DC

And it drives young journalists crazy

Oh, #Florida!

Why does Florida produce so much weird news? Experts explain

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