As a seasoned gamer of the political news sphere with over a decade of experience under my belt, I am eagerly anticipating Chris Stirewalt’s foray into the 2024 elections as an on-air analyst for NewsNation. Four years ago, I was in the trenches, calling election results and navigating the whirlwind that followed Fox News’ controversial call of Arizona.
Four years ago, Chris Stirewalt was at the center of a political firestorm.
As a gaming aficionado, I was part of an analytical team during the 2020 elections, holed up with fellow stats enthusiasts, waiting to call each state for either Donald Trump or Joe Biden based on the data we were analyzing.
Early on, Fox’s decision regarding Arizona stirred up the campaign significantly, causing it to become a headline-grabbing event in its own right. The ripples from this move were felt widely throughout the political arena as well as the media sphere.
In 2024, Stirewalt will not be hidden away in a secluded space. Instead, he will take center stage, serving as an on-screen analyst for NewsNation, the emerging cable news network that belongs to the major local TV company, Nexstar.
This time around, he aims to offer viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of television networks, as they strive to decipher the techniques used by these networks to predict election outcomes for over seven decades.
In a sense, there was a part of the Wizard of Oz setup – where behind-the-scenes, in different locations, magical entities were responsible for predicting presidential election results. However, according to Stirewalt, this approach may not work in our current fragmented and independent media landscape, where powerful figures no longer dominate like they used to. Instead, he believes it’s crucial to demonstrate the process openly, and be transparent about what is happening.
Instead of relying on internal predictions like other networks, Stirewalt and NewsNation plan to offer transparency by not doing their own forecasting at all. They will instead rely on Decision Desk HQ for election calls, ensuring complete independence. However, cameras will be set up in Decision Desk HQ’s office at Georgetown Law School, allowing viewers and anchors such as Chris Cuomo, Elizabeth Vargas, and Leland Vittert to witness their operations directly.
As a gamer, I’m all about setting up unique experiences that stand out from the crowd. Just like some TV networks creating their exclusive in-house teams, I like to create my own distinct gaming setup – it’s all about adding a personal touch and making things interesting!
He admits that it’s been tough for him personally as he’s accustomed to being deeply involved in elections. Since 2010, he’s played a significant role, making calls, helping out, and being part of the action. However, this time around, he won’t be directly engaged. He believes that maintaining a distance is beneficial because it prevents personal biases from affecting the results. By keeping things professional, they can observe, question, and report on the elections while allowing the process to unfold naturally.
Previously, similar situations have occurred, and Stirewalt personally witnessed such instances. It’s been thoroughly reported that individuals close to President Trump attempted to influence Fox News to alter their Arizona election results prediction. However, Fox News refused to change their initial call regarding Arizona, and ultimately, Biden emerged victorious in the state.
However, amidst fierce competition within the television news arena, the political editor of NewsNation aims to stand out with his unique approach to election reporting. This could prove challenging, considering the highly-partisan nature that often characterizes cable news coverage.
During television news, personality often shapes discussions, debates, and attempts to counteract bias. However, there comes a time when facts take precedence over opinion, and that week is here. When the polls close and the counting begins, personal opinions hold little weight. At this stage, we’re past persuasion and motivation, and instead, we focus on delivering accurate and timely information about what has transpired.
He proposes that we should be open and transparent with the American people about what’s happening. Instead of trying to manipulate their perception or comfort them with experts, let’s simply inform them directly.
2024 could be a decisive point for NewsNation, as it marks their debut as a full-time news network (having been rebranded from WGN America in 2021). In the midst of industry chaos, Stirewalt believes there’s a market eager for what NewsNation has to offer.
He suggests there’s a significant number of Americans who prefer news with an aspirational fairness rather than being pampered, deceived or flattered. However, he’s uncertain about the exact size of this group.
“I think if we can be transparent and independent, then we will have done a lot of good for ourselves and hopefully for the country,” he adds. “Election coverage is an opportunity for NewsNation to make good on the promise, the idea, that there is a substantially underserved market for Americans who would like to have their news removed from partisan silos. And if there’s ever a time where people want that, it ought to be an election that normal people don’t need to be comforted or deceived when it’s time to count votes. What they should want, or what I hope they want, is to be treated like grown-ups, and I think we can do that.”
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2024-11-05 00:55