Convergence has been the word over the past decade or so – with TV, print, web and radio all merging into one big media mush. But there are a few places where things don’t go so smoothly. Carolyn Washburn, managing editor of the Des Moines Register took the national stage during two televised debates this week. The forums have been widely panned – and not just for style. Washburn decided not to talk about Iraq or immigration. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank has a roundup of some of the chatter on the debates. Even though we’ve all become so used to people being Jacks and Janes of all trades – there are a few places where some specialization comes in handy: like hosting 90 minutes of live television.
(Disclosure: I met with Washburn several times during her time at the Idaho Statesman in Boise while planning — what else — a debate.)