For this blog, I focused on this Wired story where 2020 Democratic presidential candidates answered a question about the current political division in America.
First, the story was based on a number of sources, but all were presidential candidates who had a clear agenda they were trying to push. These sources are not ones I would necessarily consider “credible” because they have an obvious bias and are trying to get elected president, which is not an easy task.
Additionally, there wasn’t a single hyperlink to another news source or article in the entire story, which to me is relatively concerning. At The State Press, where I work as managing editor, we require at least five (typically more) hyperlinks per story because it improves our credibility and helps gain reader’s trust. This lack of those sources made me feel less confident in what the candidates were claiming about how to fix political division.
To address the reporter, I generally feel that transcriptions of candidates or political figures are not well-reported stories. Not necessarily that hearing from political candidates isn’t important, but more so that it gives them a platform without any criticism or feedback from professionals in the field. This story was also filed by “Wired Staff,” and stories without an actual byline make me skeptical.
Also, I have a problem with only asking one question without follow-ups. How can a journalist truly be doing their job when they only ask one question. I understand that it’s hard to get in touch with political candidates, but allowing them to only answer one, pre-written, question lets candidates get away with not having to deal with real journalism
I would give this story a C+, because it is truly very average. While it may have high-profile people answering a question about political division, it is not a fully reported or well-sourced story, which I have problems with. I assume the staff allowed written comments for this story, and I truly believe for a story to be well or fully reported it needs live interviews or, at the very least, a phone call.
