Chat Details

Rob Bluey, media director, Heritage Foundation 07-23-08

This chat will begin at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2008.

Robert B. Bluey is director of the Center for Media and Public Policy at The Heritage Foundation, where he is editor in chief of the think tank’s website, Heritage.org.

At Heritage, he oversees the Computer-Assisted Research and Reporting program and serves as a contributor to the conservative blog RedState.com, and as a contributing editor to Human Events, the national conservative weekly. Bluey writes a weekly column for Townhall.com and The Conservative Voice about politics, public policy, media and culture.

Mr. Bluey took questions on Wednesday, July 23, at 1 p.m.

Transcript

1. • The Washington Times is pleased to welcome Robert B. Bluey, director of the Center for Media and Public Policy at the Heritage Foundation, for a live chat on www.WashingtonTimes.com. Good afternoon, Mr. Bluey. We appreciate your taking time to be with us today. by
   • Answer: It is great to be with you. I appreciate the invitation to join you today. by
2. • It seems that you have a lot on your plate. What is a typical day like for you? by
   • Answer: Every day is different, but that's what makes my job so fun. I start the day at home reading the old-fashioned newspaper, and on the way to work on Metro, I'm doing work on my iPhone. We have a daily 9:30 strategy meeting at Heritage and from there, the day could go in any number of directions. When we launched the Morning Bell daily e-mail earlier this year, our goal was to set the agenda for conservatives in Washington. So that could mean sometimes I'm blogging on RedState about a particular issue. Or other times I'm helping to produce a video. The great part about my job is that I can do it from home. But that usually means my day doesn't end until around midnight after posting the next day's headlines on heritage.org. It's really a lot more fun than it sounds. I get to interact with so many great people at Heritage and others throughout D.C. by
3. • What type of conservative would you classify yourself as? by
   • Answer: I consider myself a Reagan conservative, valuing limited government, individual responsibility, traditional values, etc. Prior to working at Heritage, I was an editor at Human Events and also a reporter at CNSNews.com. Working in the conservative movement has been a great experience. by
4. • What do you think the odds are of the Democrats getting a filibuster-proof Senate this year? If they are high, what do you think the implications for the conservative movement are? by
   • Answer: While it could certainly happen, I'd be surprised if it does. Conservatives have been able to stop a lot of bad legislation because of their numbers in the Senate, so if it were to happen, you'd see a new wave of liberal policies sweep through Washington. Conservatives would probably be demoralized, but being outraged isn't necessarily a bad thing. by
5. • What brought you to the D.C. area? by
   • Answer: I've always had an interest in politics. After going to journalism school at Ithaca College in New York, I decided Washington would be the place for me. My first job was at the Student Press Law Center, where I helped high school and college journalists with censorship issues. From there I went on to be a reporter/editor for the next five years. by
6. • Mr. Bluey, what do you feel are the main issues resonating with voters this year? by
   • Answer: Clearly, the No. 1 issue is energy prices. I think Americans of all political beliefs are frustrated with the high cost of gas. The fact that Newt Gingrich was able to get more than 1 million people to sign a petition for oil drilling says something about their frustration with our lawmakers. The economy is clearly a factor for most people. And despite the fact we don't see nearly as many headlines about Iraq, I think the war there and in Afghanistan continues to play an important role in the minds of voters. by
7. • Some have criticized the media for being too soft in their coverage of Sen. Barack Obama. What are your thoughts? by
   • Answer: Don't even get me started on The Washington Post. :) I think the biggest problem is that reporters tend to do too much analysis and too little reporting. Reading some of the reports from Obama's trip abroad, it occurred to me that these journalists weren't trying to get his foreign-policy views. They were part of a publicity stunt and along for the show. We need more journalists who are willing to ask tough questions of both Obama and McCain. That's not bias -- it's good reporting. by
8. • Hi there. Bob Barr recently wooed liberals and conservatives on the same day, saying he has "the Constitution" in common with the liberals. Ron Paul similarly attracted young conservatives. From a messaging standpoint, should the conservative movement be pushing civil liberties and such to try and re-strengthen? by
   • Answer: I've always been a strong advocate of the civil liberties, and I think most conservatives are as well. The challenge is balancing civil liberties with the national security challenges we face today. Bob Barr and Ron Paul are appealing to a certain demographic that has traditionally been part of the conservative movement. From my perspective, we're doing an OK job of educating young conservatives about the Constitution. But we could certainly do better. by
9. • Please assess the media coverage — print, broadcast and cable — of Obama's overseas tour. by
   • Answer: I covered this a little in an earlier answer. Overall, I think he's been given very favorable media coverage. When pressed for answers on things like his opposition to the surge, however, he ducks and weaves. I'm not sure the press is adequately reporting that aspect of the story. What has surprised me most is that Obama's trip has generated far more headlines than our current president's recent trip overseas. And when McCain went to Colombia to talk free trade, it barely registered. by
10. • I don't read political blogs, but I was wondering how their impact in 2008 differs from their role in 2004. by
    • Answer: It really wasn't until the Dan Rather episode of the 2004 election that most Americans began paying attention to political blogs. Let's face it, until then most reporters wouldn't publicly admit to reading blogs or relying on information from blogger. But with that one story, blogs were suddenly credible sources of information. Today almost everyone is blogging -- including The Washington Times. I think that just goes to show that Americans have grown comfortable with this new form of journalism. The impact, therefore, is much greater. Now you have Senator McCain holding conference calls exclusively for bloggers. Campaigns are regularly sending bloggers tips and information they would have normally sent to journalists. by
11. • For the last 10 days, and they aren't finished yet, The Washington Post has been deluging its readers with a series on Chandra Levy (sp?). Why do you think The Post invested so much investigative journalism on this story? by
    • Answer: I have read several (not all) of the reports in The Post on the Levy case. This seems to be a different way of approaching the story. The articles are shorter, but spaced out over a longer period of time. I think in some ways it's harder to follow because if you're out of town (like I was last week), you miss a chapter. I really don't know why The Post saw fit to devote so much ink to the story now, seven years after she disappeared. But I do applaud the reporters for their investigative work. We need more journalism like that. by
12. • Over the past two years, what have been the best computer-assisted stories or series produced by American journalism? by
    • Answer: Locally here in the Washington area, I'd point you to the work done by the Washington Examiner and Maryland's test scores last year. The reporter worked with Heritage's Center for Data Analysis to analyze the information -- it's a service we provide to investigative reporters. Nationally, I'd encourage you to visit IRE.org, a Web site devoted to computer-assisted reporting. The stories that made headlines last year included one from Georgia on capital punishment and another from Kansas City on insurance companies. by
13. • Can we ask you to weigh in on the merits and demerits of "Off the Bus," the unorthodox reporting project from Huffington Post and NYU's Jay Rosen? Will this model catch on, in your view? by
    • Answer: I was initially very skeptical of "Off the Bus," but after watching it work and hearing Rosen talk about it, I can see some merits to it. It's worth noting that after it was launched, Huffington Post has engaged in a rebranding effort to transform itself from a far-left blog into a legitimate news organization. As we saw from the stories that Mayhill Fowler broke relating to Obama and Bill Clinton, citizen journalists can compete. Why this has worked for the left and not as well for the right is a good question. I certainly hope more citizens will see it as a way to participate online. by
14. • Good afternoon. It seems that the GOP is behind in the tech era. What are some of the things that you have planned to help get conservatives more tech friendly, at least those aligned with the Heritage Foundation? by
    • Answer: One of the things I've tried to do is educate people about the technology available to them so they can be more effective communicators. This includes people at think tanks or staffers on Capitol Hill. I also realize we need to lead by example, and this is why I have pushed Heritage to embrace these new forms of communication. We launched a new blog and daily e-mail product earlier this year. We also produce short videos that complement our policy papers. As for social networking, we have a presence on Facebook (albeit one that we need to improve), and we're using Twitter. We're always looking for new ways to encourage conservatives to embrace technology, so I hope you'll reach out and share any ideas. by
15. • Mr. Bluey, you describe yourself as a Reagan conservative, but the conservative movement that he brought to maturity seems to be getting old, with standard bearers who've gotten on in years. What do you think conservatives should be doing to get the sort of youth participation that Reagan once inspired? by
    • Answer: This is a very interesting question, Chris, and one that we've been discussing a lot at Heritage. I'm probably among the few Gen-Nexters who relates to Reagan -- primarily because I grew up in a household where my father talked about the principles Reagan valued at a time when I was growing up. Conservatives need to be talking about issues that young people care about. We don't have to compromise our principles, but we do need to think and act more like them. This is why I'm such a strong advocate for new leadership in Washington. by
16. • How has computer-assisted reporting changed journalism? by
    • Answer: It has definitely had a positive impact on journalism because it encourages reporters to use data to tell a story. It also allows them to hold people accountable and make sure they are telling the truth about everything from city budgets to school test scores. I'd encourage you to check out the Computer-Assisted Research and Reporting boot camp we offer at Heritage: http://www.heritage.org/press/carr/ by
17. • Who are the Heritage Foundation's three best-known (and current) personalities? by
    • Answer: That's a tough one. Probably our best-known personality is former Atty. Gen. Ed Meese, who served under President Reagan. We also have two former members of Congress working with us: Sen. Jim Talent (Mo.) and Rep. Ernest Istook (Okla.). But the person who deserves credit for making Heritage the most successful think tank in Washington is Ed Feulner, who has led the institution for more than 30 years. by
18. • Mr. Bluey, we very much appreciate your being with us today. Thanks again for making time in your schedule to chat. Do you have any last words for our readers as we close? by
    • Answer: Thank you for having me today. This is a wonderful new feature offered by The Washington Times. I'd encourage your readers to visit heritage.org and sign up for our daily Morning Bell e-mail. There's a box right on the home page to get it. by
19. • Above, you write, "Let's face it, until then" -- meaning the 2004 Dan Rather episode -- "most reporters wouldn't publicly admit to reading blogs or relying on information from blogger[s]." True enough. But let's draw you out on that point. What proportion of reporters' work, in your estimation, draws on "information from bloggers"? by
    • Answer: I can only answer that in the context of Capitol Hill reporters. And from what I've been able to gather, both from surveys and talking to people, is that most reporters read blogs, even if it's just to get a sense of what's happening. It would be impossible to put a percentage on how much of reporters' work draws on information from bloggers, but I'd say it's a healthy amount. Sen. Jim DeMint likes to say that his press shop doesn't do the routine press release that it used to do. Instead, his staff funnels information to bloggers and then directs reporters to that information. It seems to work for him, so I imagine more people will go that route in the future. by