"We'd Rather Be Right Than First"

Veteran journalists Mark Stencel, Mary Carey and Jill Lawrence enlightened students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst this evening in a panel style lecture, "Campaign 2008: The Endless Cycle?" Hosted by the UMass Journalism Department.

Carey's local campaign angle is seen in her coverage of the Amherst School Committee and on her personal blog, About Amherst. Carey's latest posts details her recent trip to our nation's capital which includes multimedia journalism. Lawrence who is new to the blogosphere admitted that journalism isn't as glamorous as it may appear and detailed a recent evening she spent on deadline inside a men's locker room. "The blog is an interesting way to experience a campaign. It's so immediate...you lose sight of what's important. Step back once in a while," said Lawrence. "Read a publication in another country."

Stencel recommended the Christian Science Monitor's new online site helping voters to see how the 2008 presidential campaign is playing out in their communities, the way campaigns do instead of general coverage predicting outcomes amongst red states vs. blue states. And for those pursuing a career in the field of journalism, Stencel recommends applicants possess the ability to converge their knowledge and skills.