2012 Democratic National Convention Projects

Students, faculty and staff from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media are contributing to the national conversation surrounding the 2012 Presidential election and particularly North Carolina’s role as a political battleground, including ongoing political coverage and a slate of activities around the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Charlotte.

Sept. 2
Panel shares data and analysis about North Carolina and the South with journalists

The school partnered with The Charlotte Observer to host a brunch and panel discussion for journalists — “Red States and Purple States” — at The Observer on Sunday, Sept. 2, presenting data and analysis about North Carolina and the South. Ferrel Guillory, professor of the practice of journalism, led the discussion about trends and issues influencing Southern politics and the future of the region.

View panel discussion.
Download panel audio.
Download panel materials for journalists.

The roundtable featured special guests Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent of PBS NewsHour, and Scott Keeter, director of survey research at the Pew Research Center.?

The convention provides a dynamic platform for substantive discussions and learning about state and regional political, demographic and economic trends, as well as about the South’s future. It is important to frame the 2012 presidential and state elections in terms of the real South and its politics, not the South of stereotypes, myth and memory.

In partnership with The Charlotte Observer, Guillory helped create a package of articles and data on the South for publication as a prelude to the convention.

Panelists included:

• Hodding Carter, University Professor of Public Policy and Leadership
• Peter Coclanis, UNC history professor and director, Global Research Institute, co-editor, "A Way Forward: Building a Globally Competitive South"
• Kareem Crayton, UNC professor of law, scholar on election laws
• Jacquelyn Hall, UNC history professor and director emeritus, Southern Oral History Project
• James Johnson, director, Urban Investment Strategies Center of Kenan Institute and Kenan Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship
• Gene Nichol, professor of law and director, UNC Center on Work, Poverty and Opportunity
• Jesse White, UNC adjunct professor of government and former executive director of Southern Growth Policies Board

Media organizations interested in talking to any of the UNC speakers should direct inquiries to Rob Holliday at UNC News Services.

Sept. 2-6
Studying how non-credentialed press cover and influence convention coverage

Led by UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media assistant professor Daniel Kreiss, an interdisciplinary team of researchers, which includes doctoral student Laura Meadows and master's student John Remensperger, will conduct research into how non-credentialed press cover and influence DNC coverage at The PPL, a site for non-credentialed producers. The study will examine how parties, the professional press and the new actors in the public sphere interact to produce narratives of the 2012 presidential election. Researchers will compare differences in coverage between professional journalism organizations such as The New York Times and FOX News, blogs such as Daily Kos and FireDogLake, new media journalistic outlets such as The Huffington Post and Talking Points Memo, and allied Democratic interest groups such as labor unions and advocacy organizations. The team also will conduct interviews with non-credentialed producers to elicit how they understand their new media production and audiences.

Ongoing
Online news project to examine North Carolina as a battleground state

Leading up to the DNC and November elections, the Reese Felts Digital News Lab is producing WhichWayNC.com — a mobile-first website that reports on politics in North Carolina.

During summer 2012, 10 students working at UNC’s flagship digital newsroom produced innovative stories about the 2012 election, focusing on the battle for political control in North Carolina.

The project launched The Roll Call, a Web application that breaks down N.C. General Assembly voting results. The Roll Call shows voting results by legislator, bill and chamber. It also displays the status of bills and the party identification of legislators. ??Reese News Lab also will launch a county-by-county interactive graphic of North Carolina presidential and gubernatorial election results since 1972. The graphic — which can be sorted by demographic information that includes race, age, sex, education and various economic and population variables — will be offered to media organizations for online publication.

Aug. 31 - Sept. 7
Student internship program with The Charlotte Observer

Seven Carolina journalism students are interning with The Charlotte Observer throughout the DNC. The students will work full-time for The Observer filing stories for print and online publication.

The interns are Melissa Abbey, Alex Barinka, Florence Bryan, Justin Mayhew, Kelley Sousa, Jessica Kennedy and Mika Chance.

Alumni at the DNC

Among UNC and J-school alumni playing roles at the convention are:

Joanne Peters, DNCC Press Secretary
Samuel Lau, DNCC Assistant Press Secretary
D. Jordan Whichard IV, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs & Outreach

Kevin Monroe, Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs & Outreach

UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media contact: Kyle York, 919.966.3323, sky@unc.edu