Political journalism is in crisis. Over the past few months, BuzzFeed News, FiveThirtyEight, Vice and a number of other outlets that specialize in political news have substantially cut staffing and coverage. Even CNN and The Post have laid off journalists. And the political media is struggling to cover an increasingly radical Republican Party without seeming to be on the side of the Democrats.
But there is good news, too. Several new or expanding outlets are addressing some of political journalism’s long-standing shortcomings: insufficient coverage of state and local government and of people who aren’t White and upper-income; an over-prioritization of elections over policy; a failure to recognize that the courts are a central front in today’s political conflicts.
And this matters. I don’t care about the state of political journalism just because it’s my field. The coverage decisions and priorities of news outlets affect the behavior of elected officials and the lives of everyday citizens. Good political journalism is vital.
Here are seven outlets that are reimagining political journalism in smart ways:
The American Prospect
If you want to understand what’s happening inside the Biden administration and the broader Democratic Party, the Prospect is a must-read. The magazine focuses on policy, not elections. But it’s not boring or overly wonky. The Prospect smartly explains how major industries, electoral considerations, and particular politicians and strategists drive policy decisions.
Follow this authorPerry Bacon Jr.‘s opinions
The Prospect generally shares President Biden’s ideology, but the magazine isn’t just reflexively praising Democrats and bashing Republicans like MSNBC. It often delves into Republican strategy and fissures among Democrats.
“A lot of what we do is uncovering the structures of power that are just outside the spotlight. We’ll tell you how power works and what powerful people are wielding it, from Washington to the corporate boardroom,” said David Dayen, the Prospect’s executive editor.
