A long time ago political campaigning centered around buttons. Snappy slogans stamped in mass and handed out by the candidates or their campaign mascots. Well-heeled campaigns turned those slogans into hokey jingles that sang the praises of politicians. We don’t really have that any more. Instead we have us, the MSM.
Most of my friends today resent election politicking as partisan pandering for the 20% of Americans who vote irrespective of political party. But even with our 8 second sound bites and horse race journalism, there’s a valid argument that we live in the most democratic era of US history. Not in my lifetime has there been so many forums in which presidential hopefuls can speak to the public (Here, of all things, Ron Paul’s interview with NORMAL is blast worldwide all so Americans can make an informed decision about who they want for president).
In this, PRX and Campaign Audio (RSS) are here to help. By curating and promoting raw audio from the election, news producers have easy access to material that can help their audience understand who and what they are voting for.
To get started, check out the audio collection underway here. For a more targeted search you might want to check here and navigate the tags on the right.