How election coverage extends beyond politics

Election Day is seven days away. Every day countdown Times Insider shares stories about how election coverage works. Today, journalists from across newsrooms discuss how the political conversation impacts their beats.

It will take a village, or multiple New York Times desks, to provide coverage of the 2024 election around the clock. But Nov. 5 will be about more than just political desks buzzing with presidential campaigns and teams in Washington covering the battles in the House and Senate.

Across our newsrooms and across the country, editors and reporters from a variety of teams worked hard to cover every aspect of the election, including how the stress of the election is impacting prospective homebuyers. I’m here. What a candidate’s personal style conveys about their political identity. and the strategies campaigns are using to appeal to Gen Z voters. Almost every team in the Times — some more unexpected than others — They contribute to election reporting in some way, big or small.

Times Insider asked journalists from various desks about how they incorporate politics into their reporting and what trends they’re watching as Election Day approaches.

How critics cover politics on the small screen

James Ponywozik, Times Chief Television Critic

Covering politics is an important part of my job. Television is a major stage in American life. It’s where politicians reach out to voters, develop personas, and send messages on a cultural level. If you doubt his influence, point to the current Republican presidential candidate, who hosted “Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC several months before launching his first campaign.

Covering politics as a critic is a lot like covering scripted television. I ask what they mean and what the candidate is saying, not just in words, but in imagery, style, and tone. I think Times readers understand that. I’m glad that so many people have told me that my reporting gives them insight that they can’t get from direct political reporting. (This is also important!)