Chicago is in the national spotlight during this year’s historic mayoral election. Whether you’re a “news junkie” or feel left in the dark while others discuss politics, Early and Often, a recent online subscription provided by the DePaul Library, is just the source for you. Early and Often will provide you with detailed and timely news reports on the upcoming election from esteemed local journalists. Political Science professor, Zachary Cook, recommends this impressive service, “particularly in an era where our local news appears now to be All Rahm, All The Time, and the news window for covering important local and ward politics seems to be ever shrinking.” Cook points out that Early and Often may be the wave of the future, when quality news will be generated by established journalists “working their local beats and contacts, and providing a wealth of detail that the local newspapers and TV stations just do not think is cost-effective to cover anymore.” He sees Early & Often as a way to heighten student interest in classes focused on local politics, campaigns and elections, Chicago, urban politics, public policy, economics, or sociology.
Early & Often was put to immediate use during the holiday break by eight journalism students participating in an Experiential Learning class taught by Mike Conklin, journalist-in-residence in the College of Communication. For the project, Conklin’s students report on the political process culminating in the historic election on February 22, with the new library resource serving as a valuable tool for tracking campaign developments. The project emanated from a fall quarter class in political reporting, when Conklin’s students covered events and issues leading to the general election last November 2. Graduate student James Mazurek created www.depolitics1011.com as a showcase for their work. Six students from that class, plus two others, then became part of a subsequent initiative covering the City Hall campaigns for the site. Part of this effort will include organizing a February 9 panel with key election insiders. How do the students feel about Early & Often? Before Conklin could get word to them of the library’s subscription, several had already e-mailed him that it was now available through the library.
*Originally published 1/6/11