Front-row seat

Election years are both exhausting and exhilarating for a political reporter. WORLD’s Carolina Lumetta has crisscrossed the country to attend dozens of rallies since January. She also covered three party conventions over the summer. I asked her to share a bit of what she witnessed.

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) invited social media content creators to its meeting in Chicago. How did they approach the event differently than traditional news media? Well, for one, they had a much easier time of it logistically compared with the reporters. Content creators had at least two lounges at the convention center, open access to all briefings and caucus meetings, a special platform on the convention floor, and a private caterer throughout the evenings. The content they created was a mix of brief Q&As with party leaders and lawmakers, short videos of their experiences, and “fit checks” of what they wore throughout the week.

The Republican convention also included social media stars. Did you see any differences in the way they operated? This is a little-known detail: Republicans also invited content creators to their convention, but far fewer came. The social media stars I saw at the RNC acted more like talk-show hosts, running around with mini microphones. They didn’t get a lot of interaction.

What was the most surprising thing you saw at either convention? How similar the RNC and DNC were. I also went to the Libertarian Convention in Washington earlier this year, and delegates there actually debated platforms and positions. At the major party conventions, every speech was carefully scripted, including the party business conducted on the floor. Republicans who disagreed with the abortion language in the platform had no opportunity to debate it, and Democrats who wanted to address differences in approaches to Palestine similarly had no method to raise their objections. The conventions are more like a four-day hype party for the most dedicated members of both parties. Despite the energetic atmospheres, I was also struck at both conventions about the similar core messages: Both sides paint the other as an existential threat to a way of life.

Media is under a microscope as much as politicians during an election year. How do people treat you at political events? Both parties want the most positive coverage possible, which has its pros and cons for a nonlegacy outlet like WORLD. Delegates who do not normally talk to the media get nervous when I walk up and ask for a quick interview. At both conventions, the same as at every protest, rally, and story I cover, I let them know that I’m there to listen, not to opine. Sometimes reluctantly, those sources agree to talk, and then when the story is complete, they appreciate that we represented them fairly and without adding in the heightened emotion that typically accompanies these political events. I tell them it’s just par for the course at WORLD.