Starting today, Media Mouse and the Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy (GRIID) have added a new feature to our website called Election Watch.
Election Watch is designed to help readers sift through all the hype and punditry that surrounds the 2008 elections. We will include ongoing analysis of candidate positions, a history of their voting records, and who is funding the candidates. We will also include some analysis of mainstream news coverage, information about grassroots groups across the country who are challenging the political process, and include ways in which people can get involved at the state and local level beyond election day. All of this is designed to fill a void that GRIID has seen in monitoring the coverage of past elections in the West Michigan media (see Election Watch 2004 and 2006).
We are seeking feedback and encourage people who are attending meetings, political speeches, and are part of grassroots efforts to contribute to a truly independent analysis of the 2008 elections.
Already, we have some useful articles in the Election Watch feature including:
- Taking a Closer Look at Obama
- Huckabee Coming to Grand Rapids
- Media Telling Voters the Primaries are Over
Also, we put two pieces up that are designed to help people become critical "consumers" of election coverage:
Finally, Election Watch will exist as a supplement to the coverage that we already do. We will continue to cover candidates when they come to West Michigan, explore voting and campaign finance records, and do original research pertaining to the candidates.
