Appreciate the piece. The book excerpt touches on something that's been a pet theory of mine for a while, what I've (internally) called the country-clubification of the industry. The increasing attraction of the potential fame and money that started accruing to journalism (especially telejournalism?) leading to a more insular group of people growing ever more detached from the "real world" allegedly represented by the ubiquitous diner safaris. Not the point of the essay at hand, but I'm curious to know what you think of that-- or should I save that for a Friday AMA? :)
I'd be interested in your view on how the "politics as sports" approach had its origins with the "Making of the President" books by Theodore White in the early 1960s. Did those books change the way the news media covers politics and government?
The role of Teddy White, 1960 onwards, is of course transformative. But I think of him as setting the stage for the "nonfiction novel" about politics, which in a very different form led to the Talese/Wolfe/etc era of "The New Journalism" later in the 1960s, and now the proliferation of insider campaign books. (Again the very best is 'What It Takes' by Richard Ben Cramer, about the 1988 race — including the young Joe Biden.)
But White went out of his way to connect the 'how' of the politics to the 'what' of the implications for the country. And I don't think of him as getting into the modern pundit business, of shrinking every news development down to what it would mean for the midterms. Probably in large part that's because he wasn't around when tv punditry came to full flower. Also he had very extensive international reporting experience—before, during, and after WW II in China and Europe. So that "what it means" perspective was baked into everything he did.
Appreciate the piece. The book excerpt touches on something that's been a pet theory of mine for a while, what I've (internally) called the country-clubification of the industry. The increasing attraction of the potential fame and money that started accruing to journalism (especially telejournalism?) leading to a more insular group of people growing ever more detached from the "real world" allegedly represented by the ubiquitous diner safaris. Not the point of the essay at hand, but I'm curious to know what you think of that-- or should I save that for a Friday AMA? :)
Thank you! This is a big topic. Will address either online or in an AMA! Stay tuned. (I do go into it a fair amount in the book.)
The electoral equivalent of this is "horse race" coverage: Which candidate is ahead and how. Not what they're saying.
I'd be interested in your view on how the "politics as sports" approach had its origins with the "Making of the President" books by Theodore White in the early 1960s. Did those books change the way the news media covers politics and government?
The role of Teddy White, 1960 onwards, is of course transformative. But I think of him as setting the stage for the "nonfiction novel" about politics, which in a very different form led to the Talese/Wolfe/etc era of "The New Journalism" later in the 1960s, and now the proliferation of insider campaign books. (Again the very best is 'What It Takes' by Richard Ben Cramer, about the 1988 race — including the young Joe Biden.)
But White went out of his way to connect the 'how' of the politics to the 'what' of the implications for the country. And I don't think of him as getting into the modern pundit business, of shrinking every news development down to what it would mean for the midterms. Probably in large part that's because he wasn't around when tv punditry came to full flower. Also he had very extensive international reporting experience—before, during, and after WW II in China and Europe. So that "what it means" perspective was baked into everything he did.
Thank you.