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Five Questions for Walter Alarkon of The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room

I first met Walter Alarkon last year when he was working for Politics magazine on a story about conservative online activism. Through a number of interviews and meetings, I came to respect the depth of his reporting. Walter was clearly interested in the dynamics of the blogosphere and penned a nice story about the right’s online challenges.

As he was finishing that story, Walter told me he was leaving the magazine to work on a new online project for The Hill newspaper. That project turned out to be The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room, a great site that parses out what’s happening in the blogosphere and offers a roundup seven days a week (with multiple updates during the workweek).

Having tried to do something similar at Human Events with my good friend Matt Lewis several years ago — we called it the Rightometer — I know the challenges that Walter faces. Fortunately, he’s working at an outfit that is devoted to making the project a success. I asked him about it and his views on conservative vs. liberal bloggers. My five questions are below.

1) What is your goal for The Hill’s Briefing Room, and who is your target audience?

We have two goals. One is to capture what’s going on in the political blogosphere. We do that in the center column of our site, with our blog round-ups. Sites like RealClearPolitics, The Note and The Hotline have done a great job of covering what’s out there in the political press, with the blogosphere sometimes included. We hope to flesh out everything interesting to those on Capitol Hill going on in the blogs.

The other goal is to find news tidbits of interest to folks on Capitol Hill. Though The Hill already has the daily paper, the Web site and two other blogs, there’s some news that’s not a perfect fit for any of those vehicles. Stories that involve raw material that can’t be seen in newsprint, like the “Macaca” moment, Hillary’s answer on driver’s licenses or Freedom’s Watch latest ad, can be told through our blog. It also gives us the capability of quickly putting up an item or linking to another blog that’s generating buzz.

2) In writing about the blogosphere, how do you go about choosing which sources are credible and worth citing on a daily basis?

You can tell when a blog does its homework by looking at the links. The best blogging is like the best reporting in that it involves sourcing out material and trying to be as transparent and responsive to readers and sources as possible. Two blogs that do it right are TalkingPointsMemo and Power Line. TPM has done work that any journalist would be proud of with its coverage of the dismissals of U.S. attorneys. More recently, Power Line has asked trenchant questions about Sen. Barack Obama’s connections.

When I start looking at blogs in the morning — I try to start at 6 a.m. — it’s quickly evident which stories I need to link to. The top bloggers all read each other, and they’re generous in linking to posts on other sites that they find interesting. For instance, when “Bittergate” broke, many bloggers linked to Marc Ambinder’s post that did a great job of foreshadowing the debate. Posts like that one are obvious candidates for our round-ups.

Also, when a certain piece of legislation is the talk of Congress, we look for blogs that are also talking about it. Those blogs help flesh out the debate when some of the players in the Senate or House may be unwilling to show all of their cards. That happened with Nancy Pelosi’s delay of the vote on the Colombia free trade agreement. While everyone knew that Pelosi wasn’t enamored with the deal, bloggers like Open Left’s David Sirota parsed Pelosi’s words and blogged about the wiggle room she left herself with that could allow Democrats to support the measure later on.

3) Which blogs do the best job covering Congress and which have the most influence on the Hill?

Daily Kos and RedState are the ones with the most influence, something that keeps them among the best. Bloggers like mcjoan on Kos and Pejman Yousefzadeh on RedState have made a difference in how activists on their sides view the bill. What they write often ends up in stories in our paper and elsewhere.

For instance, mcjoan, who knows all about FISA, has kept a close eye on Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, worried that he and Blue Dogs will cave on telecom immunity. Last week, Alex Bolton ended up writing about where Hoyer and the Blue Dogs stand. Yousefzadeh has dissecting the Democrats’ arguments against free trade deals. He and other RedState bloggers have also helped give House candidates like Pete Olson in Rep. Nick Lampson’s district credibility among conservatives by featuring them in their posts.

4) What members of Congress are leading the way in the new media sphere?

Those running for office tend to lead the way. I think it’s due largely to the idea that they know that they have to adapt to the latest, or risk losing campaigns. We’ve seen it with Obama and Rep. Ron Paul; without the online fundraising they’ve received, they wouldn’t have gotten as far as they did.

We’re also seeing members of Congress using videos more effectively. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) had a video about health care that Ezra Klein linked to that helped explain his health care plan. It was easier to watch that video on Klein’s blog and see what Klein read than download a fact sheet from Wyden’s home page.

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) and Mark Warner are also leaders in using technology. If Warner gets into office, he could become the most tech-savvy senator, having really courted bloggers for his aborted presidential campaign and having run a technology company himself.

5) Much has been written about the right’s desire to keep pace with the left online. Do you think there is still a disparity or has the gap been narrowed?

There’s still a gap, but it’s not as simple as the left being better than the right. Liberal bloggers are miles ahead of conservative ones when it comes to fundraising; look at how the Democratic presidential and congressional candidates are blowing their Republican opponents out of the water. It’s thanks in large part to ActBlue. David All is trying to do the same thing for the right with Slatecard, but he’s starting a few years behind, and the fundraising numbers reflect that.

The left is also better at online activism. Markos Moulitsas, Matt Stoller and Jerome Armstrong have had followings for a few years now. They’ve been part of campaigns themselves, which means that they have a good sense of how to organize the grassroots and have the make a difference. Erick Erickson and the folks at RedState are also trying to do similar things with their action alerts.

But the right hasn’t had the need to develop these online tools as quickly as Democrats because they’ve been in power and because they’ve had other tools, talk radio being the most prominent. And few should underestimate the right’s ability to use viral video. Conservatives online used it to weaken Sen. John Kerry (with the Swift Boat and windsurfing ads) and perhaps Obama, with the Rev. Wright clips.

So the bottom line is that the left is good at some things and the right is good at others. But the left has had a head start because they’ve had to develop these tools the past few years to counteract the advantages of incumbency and on talk radio.

Dick Cheney Has a Sense of Humor

Last night I attended the 64th annual dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents Association at the Hilton Washington Hotel — a wonderful evening filled with laughter and good times. As a guest of CNN’s Mara Gassmann, whom I met during the effort to save the GOP’s CNN-YouTube debate, I even got a coveted VIP pass to the afterparty.

It was my first time attending the dinner. After a surprise appearance by former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and a short video tribute from President Bush, a witty Vice President Cheney managed to outperform comedian Mo Rocca as night’s funnyman.

Donning a fishing hat and sunglasses, Cheney kicked off his remarks by noting his newfound popularity as fishermen — thanks to the speculation that a naked woman appeared as a reflection in the above photo. While Cheney kept the jokes mostly about himself, Rocca took a different tact and seemed to be gunning for specific attendees (Bill O’Reilly, Brian Williams and even Cheney) and just about everyone at MSNBC. It wasn’t surprising to see MSNBC host Joe Scarborough walk out early after the steady flow of insults hurled at the cable network no one watches.

NBC News’ David Gregory, the journalist who appeared drunk on “Imus” and proudly wears his bias on his sleeve during White House briefings, collected one of the night’s two awards. The other went to the absent Lara Logan of CBS News. Hers was presented by the late David Bloom’s three daughters in a wonderful tribute to their father.

After the dinner CNN competed against Fox News for the best nightcap. I headed to Russia House in Dupont Circle with my CNN friends. I had a wonderful time reminiscing with Melanie Buck (Wolf Blitzer’s producer and a high school friend of my wife), Chris Parks (a studio operator and Melanie’s fiancé) and Bethanie Chamberlain (a fellow Ithaca alum who was planning to forgo sleep to be ready to tape the Pope’s speech this morning). CNN’s Internet reporter, Abbi Tatton, was also there in good spirits. As I headed out the door, I ran into Romney’s former spokesman, Kevin Madden, who shows up on TV more often now than when Romney was in the race.

Props to CNN for putting on a great party. It was a thrill to attend. I hope I’m as lucky next year to score a ticket.

UPDATE — 3:54 p.m.: Everyone is raving about Cheney’s performance last night. Here’s the video:

Five Questions for Danny Glover of Eyeblast.tv

As I mentioned on Saturday when I posted my interview with Second Amendment attorney Alan Gura, I’m starting a new weekly feature on Bluey Blog called “Five Questions.” Each week I’ll post an interview with someone about an important news event, a new product or perhaps simply something I find interesting.

This week I asked Danny Glover, executive producer of Eyeblast.tv, to answer some questions about the Media Research Center’s newest venture — a video sharing and social networking site. I came to know Danny through his work at National Journal’s Beltway Blogroll, where he covered the politics/technology scene in Washington.

Since leaving National Journal, Danny has had his hands full. In additional to launching Eyeblast, he’s writing an outstanding personal blog called Taxation With Representation that tracks every tax his family pays over a year’s time.

On to the questions for this week.

1) In a world where YouTube dominates online video, why did the Media Research Center decide to create Eyeblast?

Eyeblast is the conservative answer to liberalism online. It is designed to fill voids in both the online video market and the social-networking realm by creating a community for conservatives in general and young, Internet-savvy conservatives in particular. For years, conservatives ceded the online battlefield in the war of ideas to liberals. We’re in the fight now but need better weapons. Eyeblast is one of them –- and the Media Research Center is committed to upgrading and expanding the new media arsenal.

2) What’s the goal of Eyeblast and why do you think conservatives will embrace it?

The primary goal is to persuade the next generation that the principles and values of conservatism are essential to America’s success. When the media report on the youth vote these days, they focus on young people’s fascination with Barack Obama, the poster child of tomorrow’s liberalism. I’m sure you’ve also noticed — not coincidentally, I hasten to add — that journalists are fascinated with Obama. They will not cover him, or his ideas, objectively. With Eyeblast, young, passionate conservatives can bypass the media and take the movement’s message straight to their peers. They can be the media.

I don’t know whether conservatives will embrace Eyeblast — they have a poor track record when it comes to grasping the significance of new media — but they certainly need to embrace it. The Media Research Center is taking the high-speed leap of building the community because of our conviction that digital tools are essential to preserving and advancing conservative ideas for generations. We need others to join us in the cause. I’m happy to say that the Heritage Foundation already is an active member of Eyeblast. Newt Gingrich’s American Solutions has uploaded content, and Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks is a member. That’s a great start to building the premier Web 2.0 community for conservatives and spreading the gospel to America’s youth.

3) Based on your experience running AirCongress, who on Capitol Hill is best capitalizing on video and podcasts?

I’ll take the podcast part of the question first because that one is easy: No one. I must have been out of my mind when I first thought of AirCongress. YouTube was but a blip on the political radar back then, so I initially envisioned AirCongress as a portal to online audio. Foolish me!

Thankfully, Internet video hit the big time politically about the time I hired a Web designer. Congress as a whole is nowhere near to embracing Web video, either, but there are some innovators. Most are in the House. Eric Cantor, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and George Miller come to mind first — a 2-to-1 Democratic advantage, by the way, which is more evidence of why a site like Eyeblast is necessary.

4) How important of a role will online video play in the 2008 elections, both at the presidential level and in congressional and local races?

In 2006, I would have answered that question with one word: Macaca. In 2008, it will take two words: Jeremiah Wright. The inflammatory rhetoric of Barack Obama’s preacher and mentor prove that online video is here to stay as a political force. Videos of Wright’s words saturate Eyeblast, YouTube and the blogosphere; the speech Obama gave in reaction to the “Wright is wrong” controversy has been watched by hundreds of thousands online; and now an anti-Obama mash-up created by Lee Habeeb and two other conservatives has led to the suspension of a John McCain staffer.

You’ll continue to see these kinds of video-inspired stories erupt regularly at the presidential level. Some will be genuine controversies; others will be manufactured by the candidates or, more likely, their mischievous online allies. Think nutroots. It will happen at the congressional, state and local levels, too, though not as often. Whether online video will win or lose elections depends on what’s in the video.

5) Now that you’ve given up Beltway Blogroll, where do you suggest those of us who relied on it get our news about technology and politics in Washington?

I’m not aware of anyone who covers all things blogosphere as single-mindedly as I did at Beltway Blogroll, but the news is there to be had. You just have to piece it together from multiple sources. Instapundit is my first stop. Glenn Reynolds regularly linked to my work at Beltway Blogroll because he was interested in the subject, so I know I’ll be able to find links to much of what I’m looking for there. Other blogs I read for politics and technology news include Personal Democracy Forum, techPresident, TechRepublican, e.politics, Blog P.I. and PrezVid.

Beyond that, I follow bloggers on the right and left who contemplate the new media world. You cover the Republican side of the beat well at Bluey Blog and RedState. Other bloggers on the right who have informed insights about politics and tech include Ed Morrissey, Michelle Malkin, Mary Katharine Ham, James Joyner, Patrick Ruffini, Michael Turk and Jim Geraghty. I like new media thinkers Jay Rosen, Dan Gillmor and Jeff Jarvis on the left. I also skim Open Left, MyDD, TalkLeft and Talking Points Memo for their insights on the subject.

Stay tuned for next week’s interview with David Kralik, director of Internet strategy for American Solutions and manager of the Silicon Valley office.

Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Turns 50

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, and as an alumnus of the program, I’m thrilled that the fund is doing well. Today it launched a redesigned website with a searchable journalism schools database and several other improved features.

When I was a Dow Jones copy editing intern in the summer of 2000, the experience took me to the copy desk of the Traverse City Record-Eagle in Michigan. That experience alone turned me into an adult — working more than 600 miles from home with no friends and family anywhere nearby. But it was the two weeks of journalism boot camp beforehand, taught by Temple University professor Ed Trayes,that really made the whole thing worth it.

College students who are looking for a career in journalism should seriously consider this program. It’s well worth it.

Who Hasn’t Heard of Curious George?

Rush Limbaugh apologized to Sen. Barack Obama today for laughing at a caller’s quip that Obama looked like Curious George. As if the incident itself weren’t bad enough, Limbaugh left me scratching my head when he claimed he hadn’t ever hear of America’s most famous monkey.

Limbaugh said he watched Yogi Bear and the Jetsons as a kid — a good excuse, except for the fact that Curious George didn’t make his TV debut until 1980. The character was created in 1941 in a series of popular children’s books.

I realize I grew up during a different generation, but Curious George is an American icon.

The Big Winners at CPAC 2008

Yesterday I had the honor of introducing the winner of the second annual Blogger of the Year Award. This year’s award went to Ace of Spades, who was chosen for his unique combination of wit and wisdom.

As an anonymous blogger, it was hard to know how Ace would react to the award. He caught many in the crowd by surprise during his acceptance speech. His fellow bloggers at CPAC had nothing but praise. Check out the coverage from the Weekly Standard, Right Wing News, NOVA Townhall, NewsBusters, Little Miss Attila, The American Mind, and last year’s winner, N.Z. Bear.

There’s video of my introduction and Ace’s speech on Townhall.

The other big winner at CPAC 2008 was Mark Tapscott, my predecessor at Heritage and a current visiting fellow who teaches our Computer-Assisted Research & Reporting class. Mark won the Conservative Journalism Award for his outstanding work at the Washington Examiner. More coverage from the Examiner, Captain’s Quarters and Power Line.

Congratulations to both of them.

Al Kamen’s Uninformed Opinion

Washington Post reporter Al Kamen should stick to writing about subjects he understands. Clearly, the blogosphere isn’t one of them.

Kamen’s “In the Loop” column today takes a cheap shot at the Pentagon’s chief of new-media operations, Jack Holt, and the great work he’s doing at the Department of Defense. Holt regularly connects military officials with bloggers via teleconferences, giving bloggers access to information that reporters like Kamen have enjoyed for years.

It wasn’t exactly a FEMA moment, but there was something odd about the Department of Defense “Bloggers Roundtable” on Tuesday with Marine Lt. Col. David L. Coggins, chief of the mobile training and mentoring team for noncommissioned officer leadership, NATO training mission.

The session was hosted by Jack Holt of the Pentagon’s new media operation. Two bloggers spoke by phone with Coggins, who was in Baghdad. The idea was to reach out to the blogosphere and give bloggers access to military officers. We’re told most of those who’ve logged on have been defense community insiders. Some sessions attract more folks than others.

Holt turned to Jared Fishman — that was Lt. Jared Fishman — for the first question, which, Coggins said, was “a really great question.” Holt asked about “what type ships the Iraqi navy was working with?” That, too, was deemed a “really great question.”

Coggins at one point gave an answer that Holt deemed just “excellent.” Holt asked if “anybody else” in the blogosphere had “any other questions.” Apparently not, so Holt concluded the session, noting it was “a great news story.”

It’s always a great news story when the right bloggers are onboard.

First, a point of clarity. Kamen suggests that the Pentagon is limiting these calls to the “right bloggers.” That’s absolutely untrue. When I saw Holt speak at Blog World in Las Vegas last year, he made a point of stating that he reached out to bloggers of all political persuasions as well as those who cover military issues exclusively. Anyone is welcome to take part on the calls, but liberal bloggers have never expressed any interest. (And why would they when it’s so easy pontificate rather than report what’s actually happening.)

In my opinion, Kamen’s piece is yet another example of an elite, mainstream journalist expressing jealously about the emerging role of bloggers in the information age. His cushy job at the Post could soon be at risk with the more Americans turning to blogs for their news and information rather than page A17 of the newspaper.

UPDATE — 4:08 p.m.: Apparently this isn’t the first time someone has launched an attack on the Pentagon’s new-media operation. Danny Glover has details at Beltway Blogroll.

Why Image Trumps Issues in America

Ben Shapiro’s new book, “Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House,” hits stores today. It looks like a great read at a perfect time in the presidential race.

Ben shares his thoughts about the book in an e-mail to me:

It’s about the history and politics of presidential image-making, ranging from presidential hair (John Kerry’s election-losing coif) to presidential height (Lincoln’s big advantage) to suits vs. boots (why Michael Dukakis would never win, and Andrew Jackson would never lose). It places historical candidates in context, ranking the best 10 image candidates of all time, and it ranks the 2008 candidates with regard to image.

I’m sure Ben’s historical analysis is right on the money, but I’m really looking forward to getting his take on the 2008 race. Based on the early returns, I’d say it’s going to be the most image-driven campaign of all time. After all, who wants to talk about issues when we can focus on Mitt Romney’s hair, Hillary Clinton’s wrinkles and Barack Obama’s abs?

Townhall’s New Magazine

The popular conservative website Townhall.com is expanding beyond the web. Last week in the mail I received the inaugural issue of Townhall Magazine. The 82-page magazine features exclusive articles from some of Townhall’s most popular writers as well as features from other well-known conservative contributors.

A letter from co-publisher/editor-in-chief Chuck DeFeo sums up Townhall’s rationale for starting the magazine:

The media landscape of today has grown so wide and so fast paced that it is difficult to keep up with it all. As we looked to 2008 we saw an opportunity to provide something that captures the myriad of voices and distills it into one product.

The magazine reminds me of a conservative version of Newsweek. The design is slick and clean. The articles, meanwhile, tend to focus on people and personalities. Take, for instance, Jennifer Rubin’s profile of Lynne Cheney or Mary Katharine Ham’s article about families of fallen heroes at the Marine Corps Marathon. There’s also a feature called “Townhall of Fame” that recognizes outstanding individuals who are making a difference in their communities. The pages are filled with photos, making these articles even more enjoyable and interesting.

In creating the magazine, I can’t help but wonder if Townhall was trying to take the opposite approach of National Review and the Weekly Standard. Both are very gray and basic in design, whereas Townhall Magazine strives to be colorful and edgy.

One of my favorite articles in the first issue is Amanda Carpenter’s piece on the potential cost of a Hillary Clinton administration, which is accompanied by a detailed chart outlining the price tag on each of Clinton’s policy proposals. I’m also glad to see Townhall Magazine has lined up Jerry Bowyer as a contributing editor to supply his data-driven analysis. Another feature I know I’ll look forward to each month is Patrick Ruffini’s Digital Democracy column. This month he writes about anti-Hillary activity online.

As the co-founder of Townhall.com nearly 15 years ago, The Heritage Foundation is naturally proud of the new magazine. Our president, Ed Feulner, congratulations Townhall in a letter to the editor, and my colleague Mike Franc has an article about the liberal policy agenda for 2008 in a section of the magazine called WONK’d.

The only thing that’s missing for the magazine is a website, ironically. Without anywhere to direct you, I instead recommend sending a note to the magazine’s managing editor, Katie Favazza, at katie.favazza@townhall.com, for more information.

The Other McCain

Robert Stacy McCain is leaving the Washington Times. The reporter/blogger turned in his resignation yesterday following the impending departures of Wes Pruden and Fran Coombs. McCain will be missed, particularly for his reports on the conservative movement. I wish him well in his new endeavor.