Q+A: Covering the Democratic Party, 2018 Midterms
The frenetic pace of politics, driven by the Trump administration, is head-spinning and unrelenting. Consuming the news is challenge in and of itself, but covering the news is another task entirely — a task that has restructured newsrooms, trampled traditions and elevated the platform and recognition of journalists who cover the chaos.
Recently, Clyde Group spoke to Molly Hensley-Clancy who BuzzFeed recently assigned to cover Democratic politics leading into the 2018 and 2020 elections. Formerly an education reporter for BuzzFeed, Molly takes on the new responsibility of covering the Democratic party as it looks to win back control of the executive and legislative branches.
Below is a Q+A between her and Alex Slater, Clyde Group’s Founder & CEO.
Alex: Congrats on your (relatively) new role, Molly. Tell us about your new beat and the BuzzFeed political team.
Molly: I’m covering national Democratic politics, looking ahead to the 2018 and 2020 elections. It’s a pretty big world, but I’m particularly interested in domestic policy and how the party is changing when it comes to issues like healthcare, guns and education. I’m also hoping to spend a lot of time covering the Midwest. I grew up in Minnesota, and my extended family is from Iowa and Wisconsin. I’m planning to look at affecting voters there — how Democrats are trying to win that part of the country back ahead of 2020, and whether it’s working.
AS: You’ve been talking to a lot of potential Democratic candidates and their staffs recently. What’s the most surprising thing you’re hearing about the 2020 elections?
MHC: It’s probably not surprising after 2016, but nobody has any idea what’s going to happen, partly because no one really trusts themselves to know. Any time someone tries to predict something, or even mentions a name, there’s always a million caveats. In terms of who might be the nominee in 2020, I think smart people can see now that Washington probably doesn’t fully understand what Democrats in the rest of the country will want in the next election, just like they didn’t really understand Republican voters in 2016.
AS: Tell us about your news consumption routine.
MHC: I wish it was something more sophisticated, but I basically wake up, roll over in bed, and look at Twitter. I love reading long-form stories, like from ProPublica and the New Yorker but I don’t really have time during the day anymore, so I save those for after work.
AS: Has the current administration permanently damaged the public’s view of the media? And do you view the damage being done as durable or more like temporary vandalism?
MHC: I think the current administration capitalized on a distrust and mutual misunderstanding that’s been brewing for a long time, but they’ve certainly made the divide a lot greater. I think it’s going to take work to rebuild that trust, and I don’t know if that’s really happening right now. I definitely don’t think it’s something a different administration, from either party, would magically fix.
AS: Tell us something about yourself that most people in Washington don’t know.
MHC: I love to rock climb — I’ve been doing it for more than four years now. I climb at Earth Treks in Crystal City and am always looking for people to climb with.
