Iowa Independent » Press Room

Waddington’s Analysis of Media Coverage of Iowa Floods Featured in the Guardian

Chase Martyn — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:30:06 +0000

All of that grunting and ligament-snapping you heard last week was the mainstream media straining to liken Iowa's record-breaking floods to New Orleans' devastation by Hurricane Katrina. As Iowa Independent writer Lynda Waddington points out in the Guardian this week, Iowa may seem too white and rural for the comparison to stick, but the connections are there-the media just missed them. Namely, she writes, "the lessons of Katrina, as well as those of other disasters, were applied in Cedar Rapids." You can read her full analysis here.

– Blake de Pastino

Jason Hancock Joins Iowa Independent

Chase Martyn — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:51:15 +0000

We’re pleased to announce that Jason Hancock has joined the Iowa Independent as a Senior Fellow. Hancock most recently wrote for Cityview, Des Moines’s alternative weekly paper. He has also written for the Des Moines Business Record and the New Albany Tribune in New Albany, IN.

For the Iowa Independent, Hancock will cover politics and government with an emphasis on accountability.

Wired Magazine Profiles Iowa Independent

Chase Martyn — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:53:55 +0000

As the caucuses draw near, traditional media outlets have noticed the impact Iowa Independent has had on news across the country. Thursday, Wired Magazine profiled the Iowa blogosphere, which writer Sarah Lai Stirland says “play[s] a pivotal role in the squeaky-close 2008 primary season.” In the story, she describes the influence Iowa Independent has wielded in the national discussion about the presidential race.

The bulk of the political commentariat’s attention on local media still revolves around state newspapers like The Des Moines Register. But local blogs have now risen to play a pivotal role in the squeaky-close 2008 primary season — courted by the presidential campaigns, and taking the pole position as vehicles for new negative stories or previously unvoiced viewpoints that can quickly grow into controversial national discussions.
…And even veteran old-guard journalists say local blogs are having a national impact.
“I think they help to inform the public, and challenge the public’s thinking,” says Chuck Offenburger, a former Des Moines Register reporter who covered the state for a quarter-century. “Many times I notice, like with the Iowa Independent or smaller papers, they’ll be out in front of the media on some campaign appearance, and then the larger media then works their way around to it.”
Founded eight months ago, the Iowa Independent is staffed with a motley mix of part-time contributing bloggers and more-established local writers. Its sole full-time employee is Martyn — a former Democratic field coordinator and student political blogger who graduated from Grinnell College earlier this year. Martyn admits he’s enjoying the limelight, but says his blog will continue long after the national press has moved on.

Iowa Independent is the state’s largest online-only news outlet. With a team of citizen journalists across the state, its on-the-ground perspective on the presidential race has made it a top destination for journalists and readers who are interested in Iowa.

Fox News Cites Iowa Independent Republican Power Rankings

Chase Martyn — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:08:10 +0000

Iowa Independent, Iowa’s largest online-only news outlet, releases weekly Power Rankings seeking to answer the question, “If the Iowa Caucuses were held tonight, how would they turn out?”

Last Friday, Fox News’s top-rated Hannity & Colmes show cited Iowa Independent’s Republican Power Rankings as a topic of discussion for their panel. The YouTube clip is below:

Iowa Independent Fellow Appearing on Fox News Channel

Chase Martyn — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:47:32 +0000

A national crew from FOX News Channel today interviewed Iowa Independent fellow Douglas Burns in Carroll for a story on the Iowa caucuses and the dynamics at work in western Iowa, particularly in the Democrats’ close contest.

FOX also interviewed several voters and leaders in Carroll for a segment tentatively scheduled to air at 5 p.m. CST Tuesday during the “Special Report With Brit Hume” on the national FOX News Channel.

FOX spent some of Monday morning in the Daily Times Herald interviewing reporter/columnist Douglas Burns - who is also an Iowa Independent fellow - about the culture of western Iowa and the political landscape with just a little over a month remaining until the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.

Burns (right) is pictured speaking with veteran FOX News Channel correspondent Steve Brown.

Iowa Independent Managing Editor to Appear on Wisconsin Public Radio 9:30AM Monday

Chase Martyn — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:15:10 +0000

Managing Editor Chase Martyn will be a featured guest on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “All Things Political” Monday, Sept. 10, at 9:30 a.m. Central time.

To listen, head to WPR.org.

Managing Editor Chase Martyn to Appear on Air America Radio (5:30 p.m. Central)

Chase Martyn — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:37:36 +0000

Iowa Independent Managing Editor Chase Martyn will appear on Air America’s Rachel Maddow Show with guest host Isaac-Davy Aronson at 6:30 Eastern/5:30 Central tonight. The topic of conversation will be tomorrow’s Ames Straw Poll.

The show can be heard live on the air nationwide, but Iowa does not yet have an affiliate. To stream the show online, click here.

Iowa Independent Managing Editor to Appear on ‘Talk of Iowa’ at 10

Chase Martyn — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:30:53 +0000

Center for Independent Media President and CEO David Bennahum and Iowa Independent Managing Editor Chase Martyn will chat and answer questions from listeners during the 10 o’clock hour of Iowa Public Radio’s “Talk of Iowa” today.

If you would like to join in, listen on your Iowa Public Radio station or stream the program live here.

John Deeth, Other Iowa Bloggers Make the CR Gazette Front Page

Chase Martyn — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 20:45:44 +0000

John Deeth’s raspberry beret, which won a poll on his blog to earn its title as Deeth’s official blogging hat, earned its 15 minutes today on the front page, above the fold, of the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

In a very gracious acceptance post on his personal blog, Deeth writes,

You wanted the raspberry beret, you got the raspberry beret. I was planning a more low-key launch, but there it was this morning, above the fold on the front page of the print edition of the Gazette. I keep my word, loyal readers, even though it made me look really, really silly.
You’ll note that even though it was warm at the Clinton/Clinton event, I nevertheless wore much more. All of you should be happy about that.
Seriously for a moment, or as serious as I can be wearing a pink hat: I feel funny about being singled out so dramatically. There’s a lot of other really good Iowa bloggers out there, both progressive and conservative, not to mention all the people running listservs. There’s too many to single out though I do want to mention my Iowa Independent colleagues, the supergroup of Iowa bloggers (Emerson, Lake and Blogger? Crosby Stills Nash and Blog?). The honor, if you can call being in the paper wearing silly headgear an “honor”, really belongs to all of us. So I tip my hat to all my fellow citizen-journalists.

Managing Editor Chase Martyn was also interviewed for the piece.

Rural Interest Site ‘Daily Yonder’ Profiles Douglas Burns

Chase Martyn — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 20:41:58 +0000

The website Daily Yonder profiled Iowa Independent Fellow Douglas Burns. The piece centers on a question Burns was able to ask of John McCain about the disproportionate costs faced by rural communities in times of war.