Before Tonight’s Technology Wall Battle, Let’s Meet the Contestants

By SteveK 

It’s been more than a month since Bill Hemmer‘s “Bill Board” and John King‘s “Magic Wall” faced off in dueling technological battle during primary coverage. Today the New York Times and New York Magazine offered up profiles of the contestants.

New York‘s Daily Intel gives Hemmer the 21 Questions treatment. “He and his pretty face will be toiling many hours on camera covering the Pennsylvania primary today,” begins the profile.

Some interesting tidbits: His drink of choice? “Stella on tap.” Take on Donald Trump? “An American Original. And always with something to say.” Preferred New York paper? “Post for fun. Times for news.”

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The New York Times’ Jacques Steinberg discovers King and “his electronic sidekick.” King described how the technology helps traditional reporting: “You can use this new technology to look at politics the old-fashioned way, which is: who’s finding their people and turning them out?”

Steinberg also writes of King’s struggles before, “his bosses paired him with a device that would become the C-3PO to his Luke Skywalker.”

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