Bob's resource links for reporters:
Politics, Elections & Campaign Finance

This is one of many files of bookmarks I've collected for journalism students, professional journalists -- and interested citizens with weblogs. This list includes organizations and sources of election-coverage advice, rather than actual "election news" from news organizations. I can't promise the links -- or sites -- are all up to date, but I hope you find some of them helpful!

Politics & elections in general

Project Vote Smart Web
Project Vote Smart includes a database of info on candidates and elected officials, as well as sections on issues, finance, voter registration and state resources.
Center for Public Integrity
CPI's award-winning independent investigative journalists have produced 10 books and more than 100 reports, including a Citizen Muckrakers' Handbook
Election Reform @ Stateline.org
Stateline is run the Pew Center on the States, a research organization administered by the University of Richmond and funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts .
Government Information Awareness @ MIT
Developed at MIT's Media Lab, GIA is designed to let citizens contribute, share and investigate information about government, in response to "Total Information Awareness" ideas about collecting data about citizens. See press release.
Robert Niles: Questions to ask candidates
Suggestions from a a senior producer at latimes.com who also has great tips on using statistics to find and document stories.
Political coverage resources-RTNDF
From the Radio & Television News Directors Foundation
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire
Weblog-style collection of news clippings with links and area for readers to comment. Goddard is Kennedy School of gov't grad, author
American Politics Journal
links, polls, columnists, "pundit pap"
Journalists Toolbox election resources
Provided by the American Press Institute
Campaign Resources-RTNDF
The Radio & Television News Directors Association provides resources and links for reporters.
Open Doors Program--FOIA
The Society of Professional Journalists information about using the Freedom of Information Act.
Investigative Reporters and Editors CampaignFinance.org
National organization for database-savvy journalists provides training and resources, including CampaignFinance.org
Political Reporting Online with the Pros
Candidates, Campaigns, and Computers article with links from Poynter Institute for Journalism Education columnist Robin Sloan
Retail Politics and the Power of the New Hampshire Primary
By an energy and telecommunications lobbyist and Democratic activist in Concord, New Hampshire.
Johns Hopkins Journal of American Politics
Grad-student-run publication was the source of the above article
The Political Graveyard
Despite the name, this site includes folks who aren't dead yet, just out of elective or appointed office.
Harvard's Nieman Foundation Election Workshop
The "Are We Asking the Right Questions?" Watchdog Conference was in 1999, but some of the issues haven't changed. For conference results, see Nieman Reports, below.
Nieman Reports on 2000 election
Harvard's Nieman Foundation for Journalism published a Summer 2000 issue on that year's election coverage, available as a large PDF file.

More:

Common Cause - Citizens vs. special interests
 
Inside Politics...
 
The Welch Report
 
AllPolitics.com (CNN-Time/Warner)
 
State of Massachusetts Elections Division
 
DemocracyNet.org -- League of Women Voters Election Info
 
Votenet.com
 
Freedomchannel.com/
 
Voxcap.com
 
 

Money, influence and campaign finance

Political Money Line
Includes mugshots & profiles of candidates, committee members, links to bills, pacs, dollar totals.
Buying of the President 2004 -- CPI report
Following the money on millionaire presidential candidates and their contributors. CPI's award-winning investigative reporters bave produced 10 books and more than 100 investigative studies in the past decade.
National Voting Rights Institute
Campaign finance reform legal center; litigation and public education.
Campaign finance @Stateline.org
Stateline is run the Pew Center on the States, a research organization administered by the University of Richmond and funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Follow the Money - The Database
From the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a nonpartisan program dedicated to research on campaign finance.
The Reform Institute--John McCain, chair
Trevor Potter, director & gen'l counsel
Campaign Finance Reform: The Issue
Center for Responsive Politics
United Auto Workers
Example of a major union's political site
Mass. Voters for Clean Elections
News clips and links on Finnernan, finance reform.

More:
 
Massachusetts Campaign Finance
 
Opensecrets.org--Money in politics data
 
Federal Elections Commission Info
 
America's Voices
 
Stateline.org
 

Bob's Stepno.com home | Weblog | AEJMC Newspaper Division | SPJ New England


Last update Aug. 8, 2003, by Bob