I consider myself a bit of an expert on live-blogging. So I had to cover this.
Remember how we live-blogged the Libby trial? We always had at least two people covering the trial: someone in the media room, live-blogging the minute-to-minute events, and someone in the court room, watching interactions between the people (those weren’t visible in the media room) and getting a feel for the overall trial. At times, though, we had three people covering the trial; that third person might be doing lunch and recap posts or covering the trial from their particular expertise (Pach viewing the trial from the standpoint of a shrink, for example). Having the third person was a welcome relief for what was a long, grueling process (remember–Jane was just out of surgery and it was over a month and a half from jury selection to verdict).
Plus, the trial was something of real consequence and detail. It really helped understand what happened, having at least a second person there to double check the details.
Two, maybe three people to do original reporting from the site, as well as detailed commentary on a trial of real consequence.
Which is why I share Athenae’s shock.
Three Reporters
The Internet continues its slaughter of serious journalism about serious things:
New York Times reporters Helene Cooper, Peter Baker and Jeff Zeleny live-blogged the so-called beer summit of President Obama, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and the officer who arrested him in Cambridge nearly two weeks ago, Sgt. James Crowley.
It took three of them to "live-blog" the "beer summit." I mean, I’m sorry, but Puck and Willie B could have handled that assignment admirably and Puck just right now ran headfirst into a table leg, so.
It gets even better! NYT says "Helene Cooper reported live from the White House." But down below in the post, Cooper admits she wasn’t in the pool covering the "event."
Here at the White House, the handful of reporters who are in the press pool will be taken to the beer summit site. Unfortunately, I do not have pool duty. So I and the majority of the press corps will wait impatiently to get the pool report from our pool colleagues.
Three people, relying on pool reports and the same televised coverage you and I got (and FWIW, I was getting that pool coverage as well).
For an eff-ing 40 minute "beer summit."