From left, Politico executive editor Jim VandeHei, editor in chief John Harris, publisher Robert Allbritton, and chief White House correspondent Mike Allen at Politico’s offices. Photograph by Gasper Tringale.
Two reporters from the Washington Post left the famous newspaper to cover the 2008 presidential. John F. Harris and Jim Vandehei became editor-in-chief and executive editor respectively of the website and later the newpaper that has become one of the main outlets of information for political news.
With its new ways of reporting with blogs, Twitter and articles, they were one of the front runners in the 2008 elections with information and commentary. In September of 2008, it was reported that Politico would not only be a "small" website but a full fledged news organization with reporters, photographers and a full staff.
What is impressive about it is the quantity and quality of news it produces. With a total staff of 100, 75 of which are the editorial staff, this organization has become the place for news outlets like CNN and other websites to get their information and trust that it is balanced and fair.
In a recent Vanity Fair article from August 2009, Politico was profiled as the new way to do news.
The article talks about how CNN changed the time it takes for something to becom news and for people to react to it (the news cycle) from the 48 hours that was normal for newspapers, to a mere half a day. However with Politico in the arena, the news cycle has changed to an astounding 15 to 20 minutes.
For Politco to be able to get news to the masses faster than ever, the staff requires all of its reporters to carry a camera and look for the "backstories"something the mission statement defines as, "those that illuminate the personalities, relationships, clashes, ideas and political strategies playing out in the shadows of official Washington."
I really do like the idea of The Politico. No longer are we getting the same old, same old news that we have been getting for hundreds of years. With the use of different technologies, like Twitter.com, Facebook.com, videos and real life chatting that makes this website one of the most visited political websites around.
Also with its daily publication in the D.C. area and its full ads, the organization has made enough money to sustain itself and make money in a world where print media is not very successful. That to me speaks volumes because it means they are doing something right and are giving me hope for the future of journalism and news-making.
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