Election ’08: Politico Leads the Pack

Though there is no mention of its publisher, Robert Allbritton ’92, The Politico gets a flattering mention in an article from yesterday’s New York Times. The piece explains how media outlets across the board are working hard to remain competitive and capitalize on consumer interest in the upcoming election.

Three months before the election, one clear winner of the cycle so far is The Politico, an upstart news organization founded in January 2007. The Politico, with nearly 70 editorial employees, publishes a 26,000-circulation newspaper three days a week in Washington, D.C.

But it is Politico’s round-the-clock online news reporting and analysis that have made it a must-read for a large audience outside the Beltway. Politico.com averaged 2.5 million unique visitors a month in the first half of 2008, more than all but 13 American newspapers, according to Nielsen Online.

The Politico has benefited from profound changes in the way people get news, according to Jim VandeHei, the executive editor and co-founder. People look for news far more often during the day, they are far more likely to seek multiple sources as well as favorite bloggers and writers, and they are far more interested in watching video online.

Many of you may recall the $5 million pledge made by Mr. Allbritton and his wife Elena Allbritton ’93 toward the renovation of Davenport, the pre-Usdan campus center. The building will be re-opened in the fall of 2009 as The Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life.

Links:
The New York Times: Media Outlets Are Seeking a Campaign Bounce of Their Own
The Wesleyan Connection: Alumni Pledge $5M to Create New Center on Campus
Roth on Wesleyan: Understanding and Engagement: Public Service