NPR: Soapbox

June 28, 2008

Race and Politics: Share YOUR Story

Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer

Get My Vote is an online space created by NPR for people to explain their core political beliefs and share personal stories this election season. We are working ahead on a series about Race and Politics that will air in August on Weekend Edition Sunday with Liane Hansen as well as on Sunday Soapbox with interviews by our vlogger Jacob Soboroff.

Click here and help us build the series by telling us how your life experience has shaped your opinion about race and politics. Here are some examples:

Cecilia Munoz on her experience with immigration:

Continue reading "Race and Politics: Share YOUR Story" »

4:35 PM ET | 06-28-2008 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

Soapbox Interview: Chuck DeFeo of Townhall.com

“We're a big townhall online. I like to say that we are a just like your local town hall in a "Red county." We are a center right”

Davar Iran Ardalan Senior Producer

Sunday Soapbox vlogger Jacob Soboroff and I caught up with Chuck DeFeo, Vice-President and General Manager of Townhall.com for the next in our series of interviews from PDF2008. Here we are in our temporary NPR mini-studio -- aka a backstage dressing room at Jazz at Lincoln Center during the Personal Democracy Forum in New York this past week.

3:15 PM ET | 06-28-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Soapbox Interview: Mark SooHoo, John McCain 2008

“you basically fire off "vetos" at flying bits of pork, and so it's a fun way to emphasize that John McCain is a leader on this issue”

Davar Iran Ardalan, Sr. Producer

While at the Personal Democracy Forum in New York, Sunday Soapbox vlogger Jacob Soboroff and I caught up with Mark SooHoo, Deputy e-campaign Director for John McCain 2008. Here we are in our temporary NPR mini-studio -- aka a backstage dressing room at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Try John McCain's new online game Pork Invaders:

Continue reading "Soapbox Interview: Mark SooHoo, John McCain 2008" »

2:53 PM ET | 06-28-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

Soapbox Publicity Vlog!

Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer & Publicity Vlogger!

We're ready to throw Sunday Soapbox into full swing... lol.

9:57 AM ET | 06-28-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

June 27, 2008

Weekly Washup

“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, although he may have been overshadowed by the hubbub of the presidential elections, George W. Bush is still in office. And from time to time, he even makes the news - although perhaps not always in the way he hopes.”

Laura Krantz, Assistant Editor

Time again to scrub behind your ears and wash between your toes. Yes, Sunday Soapbox fans, it's the Weekly Washup! Rebecca Tapscott, the capable and talented Weekend Edition intern, drew up a list of this week's more interesting topics.

And the endorsement goes to...
You might think we'd be done with high-profile political endorsements now that the presidential candidates are all but locked in. You'd be wrong. It's still open season and speculation abounds as to whether political bigwigs will support McCain or Obama. Some guesses are surprising, others not so much.

Continue reading "Weekly Washup" »

1:49 PM ET | 06-27-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

June 25, 2008

I was born a gamblin' man...

Laura Krantz, Assistant Editor

In the mood to gamble? The 2008 presidential candidates are pretty much locked in - no fun to be had there. But the vice presidential candidates? That field is wide open and even the most politically savvy insiders don't know who the potential running mates will be. But maybe you're smarter than those insiders. Maybe, just maybe, you've got a solid hunch about the veeps-to-be. If so, our intern, Rebecca Tapscott, suggests checking out "Veepstakes" at PajamasMedia.com and pick your winners for both Democratic and Republican vice presidential nominees. Get them both right and your gambling ways might pay off big time.

10:38 AM ET | 06-25-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

June 24, 2008

How is Technology Changing Politics?

Jacob Soboroff, Field Vlogger

Greetings from Personal Democracy Forum 2008, the conference about how technology is changing politics. WESUN Senior Supervisory Producer Davar Iran Ardalan and I rounded up some movers and shakers here yesterday and invited them to sit with us in our temporary NPR mini-studio -- aka a backstage dressing room at Jazz at Lincoln Center -- to share their thoughts on the conference and more. You'll notice Davar recording the audio for a segment coming up on Weekend Edition Sunday!

Yesterday afternoon Davar and I sat down with Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, MySpace IMPACT Director Lee Brenner and blogger Matt Stoller of OpenLeft.com for a 10-minute conversation about how what they do is literally changing politics as we know it -- and maybe public radio too. NPR's very own Andy Carvin makes a cameo appearance too. He streamed our entire chat live andycarvin.com on the internet yesterday with his Qik camera.

9:45 AM ET | 06-24-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

GOP Strategist on freedom of the press

“There is no longer the ability for a small group of people to control the truth. ”

Andy Carvin, NPR Social Media

Andy is at the Personal Democracy Forum in NY too and posting notes on his website andycarvin.com. Here are Andy's notes on a presentation by GOP Strategist Chuck DeFeo, in which he invokes John Adams' writings on freedom of the press and how his words are more true than ever before.

Continue reading "GOP Strategist on freedom of the press" »

8:35 AM ET | 06-24-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

June 23, 2008

The Rise of Semi-pro Journalism

“We are early in the rise of semi-pro journalism but we are well into the decline of an old way of life within the tribe of professional journalism.”

Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer

Brian Lehrer, the Host of WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show moderated a panel that included citizen journalist Mayhill Fowler of Off the Bus at the Huffington Post, Amy Holmes of CNN, and Jay Rosen of Pressthink.org. Rosen teaches journalism at New York University and is a leading proponent of public journalism.

As someone who has been in public radio for seventeen years, Jay Rosen's talk spoke to me the most. As the Senior Producer of an NPR Newsmagazine, I do think about the new digital platform and what role I will play in taking our show in that direction. One of my goals is to continue strengthening our craft as storytellers both on the radio and on the web.

Continue reading "The Rise of Semi-pro Journalism" »

3:50 PM ET | 06-23-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

Morning Dispatch - LIVE from PDF2008 in New York

Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer

I'm here at the Personal Democracy Forum in New York. Micah Sifry, one of the organizers will be sending live feeds from time to time on the Personal Democracy website. Check it out!

I'm sitting in front of the Yahoo exhibit, to my right is a group from the National Journal and behind me are folks from Politico.com.

This morning, OpenCongress.org, unveiled a searchable database called, "Lawmaker Profiler." The database includes all online video archives on US House and Senate proceedings going back to January 2006. David Moore, Executive Director of OpenCongress talked about "one-click transparency for members of Congress" and how this open source and non-partisan site can be used as a resource to track legislation and lawmaker's votes.

Stay tuned!

11:41 AM ET | 06-23-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

June 21, 2008

Personal Democracy Forum in New York on Monday!

Listen to NPR's Liane Hansen and Andrew Rasiej

“we are challenging a number of people around the country, leading thinkers in the world of politics and media to ask themselves the question, how do we redefine our democracy in an information age ”

Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer

We'll see you at the Personal Democracy Forum in New York on Monday. Jacob Soboroff and I will be blogging from the conference and interviewing some big names in internet and politics.

Click below the video for an interview Liane Hansen of Weekend Edition Sunday did with Andrew Rasiej, the Founder of the Personal Democracy Forum. The interview will air tomorrow between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. on most NPR stations across the country.

Continue reading "Personal Democracy Forum in New York on Monday!" »

10:29 AM ET | 06-21-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

June 20, 2008

Know your politics? Dang, that's sexy!

“...caring about politics is sexy. One might even say it's 'dead sexy.' ”

Laura Krantz, Assistant Editor

Everyone (including us) seems to have a political website these days. But our intern, Rebecca Tapscott, has found a rather racy site that stands out from the field: SexyPolitics.com.

The website's creators had this to say about their work:

"We believe sexy is being informed. Sexy is clear and simple. Sexy is understanding why global events often have local impacts. We think a political news story is sexy when it simplifies a misunderstood concept or illuminates a trend that should be followed. When a person is sexy, they inspire those around them. When a movement is sexy, it makes others jump on board."

In other words, caring about politics is sexy. One might even say it's "dead sexy."

So here's how the website works: you select a stripper persona and a costume. Then, you answer trivia questions about the presidential candidates (including some now ex-candidates). If you get a question right, your stripper loses a piece of clothing. But don't worry - it's very PG - there's no nudity to offend anyone's delicate sensibilities.

As a double bonus, you can also earn points for your correct answers, to be redeemed for merchandise or donated to charity. Political fun for the whole family! Not to mention that top scorers are also featured on the website. (We couldn't help but notice that all the winners appear to be men...)

4:04 PM ET | 06-20-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Race and Election '08

“I've noted that race is the Republican Party's Achilles heel. Well, folks, the shoe is now on the other foot.”

Faye Anderson, citizen journalist

As the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama is the first African-American standard bearer of a major political party.

While Obama received 9 out of 10 black votes, his victory was also powered by young people and high-income whites. So race no longer matters, right? Wrong. Race still matters.

Continue reading "Race and Election '08" »

11:17 AM ET | 06-20-2008 | permalink | comments (13) | e-mail post

June 18, 2008

Weekly Washup

“Computer literacy may play an important role in the campaign -- the question is whether presidential candidates need to be computer literate. ”

Laura Krantz, Assistant Editor

Hello Sunday Soapbox fans! We're starting a new feature -- Weekly Washup -- which provides a quick overview of recent blog news. This week, Weekend Edition Sunday's intrepid intern, Rebecca Tapscott, looked into some of the issues that are garnering attention on the Internet.

Testing Computer Literacy (or: your CD-ROM drive is not a cup holder)

The "Internet revolution" has been fast and unrelenting. Now, Americans are speculating about the power of the internet to aid a presidential campaign. Many analysts agree that Obama holds the lead in this respect. Computer literacy may play an important role in the campaign -- the question is whether presidential candidates need to be computer literate. As Tracy Russo put it in a post on The Back Forty: "How do you lead a people forward when you are stuck in the past? How do you inspire, elevate, and imagine the greatness that is ahead if you don't understand the world we must navigate to get to those places?"

We want to hear from you on this - do you think computer literacy and technological savvy are necessary to the presidency? Will that make a difference in who you vote for?

Continue reading "Weekly Washup" »

2:06 PM ET | 06-18-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

June 14, 2008

Web Wars

Listen to Mindy Finn's audio post

“As American voters look for more substance in less time - or clicks - political campaigns and news organizations race to catch up, or better yet, win the web war. ”

Mindy Finn, Political Strategist

Many pundits, journalists and academics are calling the 2008 presidential election the first Internet or 21st Century campaign. What do they mean, and how is this the first 21st century campaign when we're nearly a decade into the 21st century?

Candidates touted interactive websites with grassroots action tools for their supporters, blogs, web video, peer-to-peer initiatives, local and coalition-based microsites, online advertising and online competitions in the 2004 presidential race, and, to a lesser extent, the 2000 campaign.

Have we forgotten that Senator John McCain was the first major candidate to harness the power of the Internet for fundraising in 2000 and that Howard Dean virtually came out of nowhere with his focus on organizing and raising money online in 2003?

Continue reading "Web Wars" »

10:43 AM ET | 06-14-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

June 11, 2008

Politics at the Webbys...

Jacob Soboroff, Field Vlogger

Last night I was at the 12th annual Webby Awards in New York City. I hit the red carpet both as a nominee for the work we do on voter participation at Why Tuesday? and to talk to other nominees about what they're watching in politics online. One of the hot topics of conversation: what it means to have bloggers and vloggers out on the campaign trail.

3:15 PM ET | 06-11-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

June 8, 2008

Bowing Out of the Presidential Race

Laura Krantz, Weekend Edition

On Saturday, at the National Building Museum in Washington, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) suspended her campaign for the presidency. As she publicly endorsed her rival, Senator Barack Obama, many of her supporters expressed their unhappiness. Some grew teary-eyed, others booed and stomped out of the venue. But Senator Clinton's message was quite clear: "We must help elect Barack Obama our president."

A look at Clinton's farewell

6:25 AM ET | 06- 8-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

June 7, 2008

Race and Politics - Share YOUR Story!

Jacob Soboroff, Field Vlogger
Get My Vote is an online space created by NPR for people to explain their core political beliefs and share personal stories this election season. I spoke to NPR Senior Producer Joe Matazzoni about the project and about how YOU can contribute your stories about race and politics.

Continue reading "Race and Politics - Share YOUR Story!" »

4:43 PM ET | 06- 7-2008 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

June 6, 2008

A Political Intermission with Lamar Alexander

Laura Krantz, Weekend Edition

Act I (a very intense primary season) is at long last coming to an end. And Act II (the much-anticipated general election) is just about to get started. The thought, while exciting, makes us kind of tired. So we thought we'd provide a little intermission in the form of Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who kindly agreed to tickle the ivories in NPR's Studio 4A.

5:01 PM ET | 06- 6-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

June 3, 2008

The Last Primaries: Obama, Clinton Make Final Push

Originally posted on NPR News in Brief
Primaries in South Dakota and Montana will bring the Democratic presidential nomination closer to a finish on Tuesday, as the last contests were likely to prompt dozens of uncommitted superdelegates to declare their choice of candidate.

Continue reading "The Last Primaries: Obama, Clinton Make Final Push" »

8:21 AM ET | 06- 3-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

June 1, 2008

Get LOUD! Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico June 1, 2008, 04:48 pm ET
from the Associated Press
Hillary Rodham Clinton won a lopsided, but largely symbolic victory Sunday in Puerto Rico's presidential primary, the final act in a weekend of tumult that brought Barack Obama tantalizingly close to the Democratic presidential nomination.

The former first lady was gaining more than 60 percent of the vote in early returns, and a pre-election poll suggested she could wind up with nearly two-thirds support.

Continue reading "Get LOUD! Puerto Rico" »

5:09 PM ET | 06- 1-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Counting on Democracy

Faye Anderson, citizen journalist

"What do we want? Democracy. When do we want it? Now."

The chants from the hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel were still reverberating in my head as I made my way to the Press Filing Center, from where I watched the Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee's hearing on Florida and Michigan.

Continue reading "Counting on Democracy" »

7:11 AM ET | 06- 1-2008 | permalink | comments (23) | e-mail post

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