Election coverage: A news cycle that never ends

072924…R PUSKAS…Warren…07-29-24…Tribune Chronicle/Vindicator Editor Ed Puskas…by R. Michael Semple

I once sat across a desk from two newspaper editors who were interviewing me for a news reporting position.

I was more than familiar with the newspaper. I’d grown up reading it and spent the first few years of my career as a sportswriter there. That was clearly the hook that got me the interview, but it quickly became obvious that I wasn’t getting the job.

The first clue was this question from the metro editor:

“So I see that all your experience is in sports. What makes you think that you can do news?”

I knew that some variation of that question was coming, but I probably could have come up with a better answer.

“Sports news is still news,” I said. “It’s not all about game stories and soft features. Sportswriters write about hirings, firings and controversies. I’ve written about people who died tragically.”

And then I torpedoed any chance of landing the job.

“In my experience, it’s easier to turn a good sports reporter into a good news reporter than it is to turn a good news reporter into a good sports reporter,” I said. “Most sports reporters are interested in all sorts of news, but not all news reporters are interested in sports.”

Everything went downhill from there and it turned out to be almost 30 years before I finally made the move from sports to news.

One thing that they don’t tell you when you make such a move is about the election cycle.

As a sportswriter and — later — sports editor, my main concern about election night was getting our stuff done early so we could get out of the way because the news and sports roles were reversed. Usually, it’s sports waiting for late events to finish so we can get them in the paper. On election night, news side had to scramble to compile results and file stories late in the night.

The other concern was what kind of election-night food would be available.

You see, every night is election night in sports. News side deals with that kind of schedule a couple of times a year, and they get pizza and assorted other goodies to help them get through it. But the sports crew always got to partake, too.

I never gave much thought to the election cycle beyond that, until it fell under my umbrella of responsibility, and I realized that there really isn’t an election cycle any longer.

It has become constant.

One minute you’re celebrating a successful election night deadline push and the fact that all those annoying commercials, emails and debates are going away and the next, you realize that the lull may last a day or maybe two. Then it all begins anew.

Politics has become a constant in our society over the last 25 years or so. I blame the 24-hour cable TV news cycle and the proliferation of all those partisan shows and the anchors who think they know everything. Whichever side you’re on, you can find a channel that will provide the echo chamber you want.

CNN, MSNBC and the traditional networks like ABC, CBS and NBC will satisfy your need for Democratic talking points. Fox News Channel and Newsmax provide the other side.

But the real difference today is in how partisan politics have trickled down to our families, neighborhoods and social media. Politics and religion used to be the third rail of polite conversations. I’m pretty sure I can remember my father telling me not to bring up either in a bar. The same used to be true for the dinner table, parties or over the backyard fence with your neighbor.

Not anymore. It has become more and more difficult to resist the urge to tell the whole world where you stand, whether anyone else cares or not. Technology makes it all too easy to do now that almost everyone has a computer the size of a pack of cigarettes in their pockets.

Some Democrats only want to hear news and opinion that bolsters what they’ve already come to believe. Some Republicans are no different. In our business, we routinely field complaints about columns and editorial cartoons that annoy readers who don’t agree with the messages they contain.

I’m finishing my third week in the editor’s chair here, and I’ve already received correspondence from readers who are convinced that our spouting GOP talking points, while others insist that we’re part of the liberal media who exist only to defame Donald Trump and help Joe Biden, er, Kamala Harris get elected.

The truth is, I just want to make deadline on the night of Nov. 5 and have a few pieces of mushroom-and-sausage pizza along the way, no matter who wins — the communists or the fascists.

Just kidding … no need for angry emails.

Guess what? It’s not going to get any better with less than three months until Election Day. Enjoy the respite on Nov. 6, because it won’t last long.

No matter what happens, the next election cycle will begin on Nov. 7, if not sooner, and we’ll do it all again.

Sigh.

Ed Puskas is editor of the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicator. Write him at epuskas@tribtoday.com.