August 2009 Archives

" The 'Fix' ": Politico, Sacbee and The Post

Madeleine Scinto
| August 30, 2009 10:14 AM TrackBacks (0) Comments (0)

Washingtonpost.com, Politico.com, Sacbee.com

 

History and Contents

 

Washingtonpost.com, politico.com and sacbee.com all have great reputations for their political coverage. These three websites are widely respected and well known, especially in the political junkie world. The Post focuses on national politics and the DC metro area, the Sacbee focuses on California politics and the northern California/greater Sacramento area, and Politico focuses exclusively on national politics. Politico, in contrast to the other websites, focuses on a very niche market.

 

The Sacbee and the Post are both old, traditional newspapers that have adapted to the dotcom boom with their successful online publications. Politico started a few years ago as an online publication but, due to popular demand, has recently developed a paper version of itself. (Interestingly enough, Politico's moneymaker turned out to be its paper version.)

 

The Set-Up

 

All three websites hire journalists to run blogs. These journalists, or blog operators, are very knowledgeable about the subjects they cover and have a knack for finding interesting story angles. The Post has bloggers like Chris Cillizza and Howard Kuntz, Politico has bloggers like Anne Schroeder and Michael Calderone, and the Sacebee has bloggers like  running Dan Walters and Marcos Bretton.  My favorite blogs tend to be witty and fun to read, which is why I like Politico's blogs the best.

 

All three websites also use multi-media including video, audio and photo slideshows. However, all three websites use and approach these tools in a distinct way.

 

For the most part, the Post uses multi-media to enhance its stories instead of as a tool to complement the overall website.  The approach explains why it does not have a multi-media tab on the homepage. The Post expects users to access its multi-media components by clicking on a specific story and then clicking on the video, audio or photo slideshow that corresponds with that story.

 

The Post puts together pieces using its own audio clips and photos, but borrows a lot of camera footage from other news sources like AP or CNN. The video it puts online tends to only cover major events and news conferences, and is taken directly from the broadcast news sources without any alteration. The way it simply plops the material into its multi-media section makes it boring to watch. In addition, the original video reporting the Post does do is not very interesting.

 

The Sacbee approaches multi-media similarly to the Post. It uses multi-media tools to enhance its news stories and disperses the material throughout its publication.  It also has a multi-media section like Politico that is accessible from the homepage, but it's hard to find. You have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page.  I find the Sacbee to be the weakest multi-media operator of the three websites because it does not use enough of a variety. However, the Sacbee does do excellent video reports.  They're fun, engaging and give good information.

 

Another quick distinction between Sacbee multi-media and the Post and Politico multi-media is that it does not use camera footage from TV broadcast news. It takes all its own video and puts it together.

 

Politico has the most engaging and comprehensive multi-media section of the three websites. It uses an mélange of everything in a variety of styles and covers all sorts of topics from the Kennedy funeral to "regular folk" street interviews. The videos include "insider" blurbs from Politico journalists, kitschy "TV news broadcasts," and controversial political advertisements being played in different parts of the country.

 

Of the three websites, Politico does the most video reporting. The videos may include wacky graphics and other funny material, but the content is very good and credible. It also rarely borrows full clips from a single news station like the Post does. In addition, it is the only website of the three that makes it easy to access its multi-media by providing a multi-media tab on the top of its homepage, as well as linking individual videos to its homepage and articles. The way Politico structures its multi-media is to complement its articles and the website as a whole.

 

For example, Politico has also developed what it calls "Politico Playback," a section of clips that puts all the highlights from the political broadcast shows together. The splice and dice mix is a great way to see what all the pundits are talking about and hear quick interview blurbs from big politicians. It makes it easy for the user to see ABC Morning News, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and the O'Reily Factor all in the span of three minutes. Some of Politico's Playbacks also include highlights from the late night comedy shows that poke fun at politics.  They're fun to watch.

 

Although these clips are not linked up to a specific article, they complement the website as a whole. Politico's mixture of online articles, broadcast "re-mixes," and video reporting helps it cover all realms of the political journalism world. The comprehensive multi-media section makes me feel like there is no reason to go anywhere else for news on national politics. It summarizes cable chatter, TV broadcast news and even late night political comedy in a matter of a few minutes while giving the reader quality articles. In fact, its articles have as much detail and depth as the articles written for the Post.

 

It seems to coordinate all the news outlets about the political world into one website, which is probably what has made it so successful. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Train Tops to Santa Ana

Madeleine Scinto
| August 23, 2009 2:34 PM TrackBacks (0) Comments (0)

SANTA ANA--- "I like the good life," said Edwin Alvarez. "And the cheap beer." His answer as to why he wanted to stay in the United States resonated in its simplicity. It was charming, almost charming enough to distract from the house arrest bracelet strapped firmly to his leg.

He sat back in his chair, sipped on the cool Modelo and absorbed his surroundings; it's a one-bedroom Santa Ana apartment he shares with five others while he awaits his immigration hearing.           

Alvarez, a 20 year-old Honduran immigrant, came to the United States illegally five years ago. After escaping an extremely abusive upbringing at the age of ten, Alvarez had no real family as a young teenage boy and decided to venture north. He ventured through Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico for five days via train roof, sneaking from train top to train top until arriving at his Tijuana destination.  Fifteen hundred dollars and a coyote tour later, both provided for by his Uncle who also resides in the States illegally, Alvarez landed in Santa Ana. 

He stayed with his Uncle until his Uncle's wife chased him out, resorting to moving through the homes of different extended relatives and strangers. During this time Alvarez tried a stint of high school but quit shortly thereafter. Being illiterate, he found it too hard to catch up and his diminutive physical size made it difficult for him to socialize with peers his own age. (In Honduras he suffered from malnourishment making his fifteen year-old body look like that of a very young ten year-old.) He took up gardening.

Five years following his arrival, on Mother's Day, the Santa Ana police escorted Alvarez to jail where he stayed two days for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Since the arrest he has spent the past six months on house arrest at his uncle's ex-girlfriend's apartment; it was the only address the police could find for him.  Alvarez awaits his immigration trial patiently, fully expecting to be deported.

When asked what he will do when he returns to Honduras, he again answers simply. "I will steal. I don't steal here but in Honduras I can't find work so I steal. I will steal for three months and then I will come back. There are plenty of train roofs." 
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