The Thicket at State Legislatures

Clever Political Ads

By Karl Kurtz

Sabato's Crystal Ball features "10 classic political ads that 2014 candidates should (or shouldn’t) copy". All of them are clever and engaging. A few were successful. My favorites (maintaining strict multi-partisanship) are "Fast Paced Paul" Wellstone's 1990 insurgent campaign ad against incumbent U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz (R-Minn.), Republican challenger Florence Sullivan's ad depicting U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan riding a fence as "The Great Straddler" in 1982, and independent Jesse Ventura's "Action Figure" making fun of his own background as a professional wrestler in the 1998 Minnesota governor's race.

Trials and Tribulations of Election Reporting

By Mary Winter

Image: iWitness KTVN 2 News

The Democracy Fund backed an initiative to improve reporting by the media on the 2012 election. It funded the Center for Public Integrity and the Columbia Journalism Review to support reporters and editors to strengthen election coverage. CIRCLE (the Center for Information & Information on Civic Learning and Engagement) recently conducted an evaluation of this project and summarized the results in a blog post:

CIRCLE's interviews with 97 reporters who participated suggest the following conclusions:

• Because of staffing cuts and turnover in the profession, the news media struggles to cover politics. They are aware of their difficult situation and generally grateful for assistance.
• Providing high-quality information and constructive criticism does change reporters' behavior.
• Professionals in the news media are understandably somewhat sensitive about being given advice unless the person offering it recognizes the practical limitations they face.
• They are also concerned about being manipulated by ostensibly nonpartisan organizations that they fear may have partisan objectives.

Of particular interest to The Thicket readers was this finding:

Local coverage emerged as an area that needs special attention and support. As a reporter told us, "One of the faults with journalism coverage and journalism criticism, in general, is that it tends to focus on the big national players and the big national issues. And as we've seen a number of major publications pull back on local coverage … it's become all the more important that we have some sort of press criticism function taking care of local media and engaging with local media. And I think that a lot of reporters working locally and regionally would benefit from that sort of attention and that sort of engagement as well."

Before I joined NCSL as assistant editor of State Legislatures magazine, I was one of the reporters who participated in the project when I worked for Columbia Journalism Review as Colorado correspondent for the Swing State Project, so I read the evaluation with interest. My assignment was to monitor election coverage by print, online and TV media in Colorado, critiquing local reports that were particularly enterprising or illuminating, or illustrated how doggedness often pays off in reporting election pieces. On the other end, I also criticized stories I found particularly imbalanced, underreported or inaccurate, and I took outlets to task for missed opportunities and pack journalism. I also wrote pieces on resources and online tools for reporters covering elections such as Followthemoney.org, Opensecrets.org and the Sunlight Foundation.

The CIRCLE evaluation appears to be a good snapshot of the mood in the media world, but it didn't plow any new ground for me (although it was troublesome to read that press releases are being reported "word for word").  Many media outlets are no longer willing to (or cannot) spend the money it takes to get in-depth political reporting, and there is frustration all around.  Talented journalists and editors have willing spirits but they're overwhelmed by demands and lack of resources. 

TVW Wins Cronkite Award for Excellence

TVW, the public affairs network for the state of Washington, is a 2013 winner of a Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism. in the Local Public Station category.

The network, which carries unedited coverage of the Washington Legislature, Supreme Court and other branches of government, was the only public or PBS television station in its category to win a Cronkite Award.

The announcement by the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.cited TVW for “compelling, fair and very visual treatment of issues affecting the state,” adding, “Washington voters are lucky to have TVW as a news source to turn to.”

The January issue of State Legislatures magazine featured a story on the growth of local public affairs networks.

Washington House Speaker Pro Tem Jim Moeller (D) supports his state’s network, TVW, because it provides transparency, which leads to “a better government, a better democracy.” And even though TVW has had to absorb $2.5 million in state aid cuts since 2008, the network’s subsidy remains a “very bipartisan appropriation. It’s pretty much looked at as a ‘hands-off’ sort of thing,” Moeller says.

The Cronkite Awards, named for the legendary CBS anchorman, are given every two years “to recognize television journalism that helps viewers understand who the candidates are; what the issues and ballot propositions are; how electoral choices will affect their lives; how to assess campaign information, including advertising; and how to register, vote and make their own voices heard,” according to the announcement.

 

 

Social Media: Becoming a Trusted Source for Political Information

By Pam Greenberg

Americans increasingly place their trust in social media sources—almost as much as or more than they trust traditional news outlets, according to some recent surveys.

The Social Media Election Survey Report, released in January by the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management and ORI (a market research and business intelligence firm), examined social media in the 2012 election and its implications for political, business and civic institutions. According to reporter Byron Tau in Politico,

The survey finds that nearly two-thirds of voters reported that political information on social media was either higher quality or on par with traditional media outlets. For users younger than 25, 71 percent put the same or greater level of trust in content.

Older voters are more skeptical of information shared on social media — with 36 percent calling it less reliable than traditional news sources.

In 2012, the Edelman Trust Barometer, a global study, found growing public trust in new communications, noting that while traditional news sources were still the most trusted,

…social media, which consists of social networking sites, content sharing sites, blogs, and microblogging sites, saw the biggest percentage increase (75 percent) in trust among media sources.

Edelman’s 2013 Trust Barometer also reports that people are turning more often to their peers for credible information.

This likely comes as no surprise in statehouses across the country, where every state uses social media in some capacity.

Human Trafficking: Mira Sorvino Urges State Legislators to Continue to Fight

By Alex Fitzsimmons

Human trafficking is a $32 billion industry that ensnares hundreds of thousands of victims each year, including an estimated 100,000 children. States play a key role in combating human trafficking, but could do more to eliminate the scourge of “modern-day slavery,” said Oscar-winning actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador Mira Sorvino at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Fall Forum in Washington, D.C.

Speaking at the Forum’s plenary session on Thursday, Sorvino offered recommendations for improving the legal framework for states to punish traffickers and support survivors. Specifically, she urged states to strengthen “safe harbor” protections for minors, pass more robust asset forfeiture laws to make business more costly for traffickers, and crack down on the “Johns” who she said are often let off the hook.

“It’s not okay to just do it from the supply side,” she said in pushing for a strategy that combats demand as well as supply. “The atmosphere of vulgar profit and impunity must end.”

Sorvino, who presented a litany of charts, graphs, and issue briefs for attendees to digest, highlighted a map produced by the Polaris Project that ranks all 50 states on 10 categories of laws deemed critical for curtailing human trafficking. Polaris ranked 21 states in the top tier for passing “significant laws” related to human trafficking, while relegating 13 states to the bottom two tiers for making “nominal efforts” to address the issue.

After sketching out the major themes in human trafficking and imploring the assembled legislators and legislative staff to act, Sorvino turned the floor over to Holly Smith, a human trafficking survivor. Smith said she was forced into prostitution in Atlantic City after running away from home at age 14.

“I stand here today to tell you that victims or human trafficking are not lost causes,” said Smith, who said she graduated from college with high marks and became a microbiologist after escaping her traffickers. Smith is living proof that, as Polaris puts it, “what you’ve been through is not who you are.”

During the 2011 and 2012 legislative sessions, 40 states enacted 168 laws related to human trafficking, according to NCSL’s Criminal Justice Program. Perhaps Sorvino’s appeal will help push that number even higher in 2013.

“Will we be able to look our children in the eye and tell them we did everything we could?” asked Sorvino.

 Click here for POLITICO’s coverage of Mira Sorvino’s plenary speech at NCSL’s Fall Forum.

 

One Final Preview of the Election

By Meagan Dorsch

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has two of the best election experts on staff tracking state legislative elections and ballot measures. Don't take our word for it. Check out how frequently Tim Storey and Jennie Drage Bowser have been quoted by reporters from over the last two weeks by reporters from Bloomberg Business News to the Associated Press.

We have asked Tim Storey to tell us if there are any states that could make history on election day and what the typical partisan turnover is in a presidential year.

Jennie Drage Bowser talked about two states that have unique measures on the ballot this year and if voter ID will have an impact at the polls this year.

NCSL has posted all of these videos to our You Tube channel and we invite you to take a look before the election results start to pour in! Of course, NCSL will be working through out election night, tracking state legislative races and ballot measures across the country. Many of the results and analysis will be posted here on The Thicket, along with the Prop 50 blog and NCSL's various social media sites.

Watch Jennie Drage Bowser and Tim Storey talk all things elections

By Mark Wolf

NCSL election experts Jennie Drage Bowser and Tim Storey are appearing in a series of short videos on a variety of issues facing voters on Nov. 6.

Watch Jennie's overview of the types of ballot issues here and first-time ballot issues here.

Tim's take on presidential coattails on state legislative elections is here and his explanation of why history is on the line in Arkansas is here.

Politics as theater

By Mark Wolf

How much of politics is theater? How much of what the nation will see in the first debate is the result of rigorous rehearsal and how much is authentic?

The Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School gathered Oscar winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, NBC News chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd, former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson and director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center Kathleen Hall Jamieson to discuss "Politics as Theater" at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver just hours before the first presidential debate.

You can watch the discussion here.

Todd said the better performer and most likeable candidate wins most presidential elections and that southern politicians such as Bill Clinton ("who ate sticks of butter and fried chicken") have the best grasp on the drama of campaigning.

He also suggested time should be set aside in each debate for the moderator to rewind and fact-check claims made by the candidate, taking advantage of social media's facility for instant fact-checking and feedback. 

Sorkin said he didn't think that by the end of the debate "we'll be any better educated on the issues than we were before the debate," but Jamieson, who also oversees the FactCheck.org site, disagreed.

"That's just not true," she said. "What we know from studying the debates is that people do learn and they are better able to accurately represent even the positions of the opposing candidate. So even if you say that debates don't change minds, they don't usually, but they increase the likelihood that you will understand things that will forecast governance."

Simpson said the nation is "thirsting for the truth" but predicted the debate would present "something that looks like Fred Astaire on steroids."

The cutaway shots where the camera lingers on one candidate while his opponent is talking "is actually the one moment where we realize that's what they really think, that's who they really are. That's authenticity," said Todd.

CA says no to employers asking for SM passwords

By Meagan Dorsch

Can employers force potential or current employees turn over the username and password of their personal social media accounts? California is the latest state to address the issue as Jerry Brown signed bills Thursday prohibiting employers and institutions of higher education from forcing students and prospective employees to hand over their personal social media data.

We first wrote about this issue in April on The Thicket. At that time, the state of Maryland was set to become the first state to enact legislation prohibiting this action. A separate bill passed the House in Illinois, and concern over this practice was being discussed in Congress.

NCSL continues to track this issue and has released data showing that over a dozen states considered legislation that would restrict employers from requesting access to social networking usernames and passwords of applicants, students or employees in 2012.

Four states enacted legislation in 2012 this year, two of which prohibit higher education institutions from requiring students to disclose social media passwords or account information.

As mentioned in the previous post, at the heart of this issue for state and federal lawmakers are privacy and employment laws, both of which could be violated if a person provides passwords to personal accounts. What is your take? 

Financial Disclosure: Not Just for Presidential Candidates

By Alex Fitzsimmons

As the 2012 presidential candidates can attest, financial disclosure can be a dicey subject. But they’re not alone: state legislators must also comply with complex disclosure requirements.

NCSL has compiled a series of charts comparing state financial disclosure laws. All but three states – Idaho, Michigan, and Vermont – require state legislators to file personal financial disclosures. Most states require lawmakers to report their occupation, sources of income, addresses of property and business associations. And more than two-thirds of states require lawmakers to disclose information on spouses and dependent children.

In California, for example, state legislators must report sources of income exceeding $500 and describe the nature of any business associations, including names, dates and positions held. They’re also required to describe their interests in real property, which means forking over dates, addresses and property values.

While most states require elected legislators to file, not all states require financial disclosures from candidates who don’t currently hold elected or appointed office. Nevada and Illinois are two examples of states that require disclosure from both incumbents and challengers.

NCSL’s Center for Ethics in Government keeps tabs on the intricate web of state financial disclosure laws. Since requirements vary between states, you can consult our resources or contact our staff for more information.