While most media organizations are covering the election with a national lens, USA TODAY NETWORK is using bifocals. It is reporting on the political fanfare of the conventions 24/7 delivering a steady stream of seamless 360° coverage from top-notch journalists on site. It is also making, breaking and reporting news on the local level and scaling it as the opportunities arise.
News omnivores know that breaking news is the Holy Grail. Just last week the IndyStar, part of USA TODAY NETWORK, broke the news that Indiana Governor Mike Pence would be Donald Trump's running mate. This was possible because it has reporters across the nation who are deeply embedded in local communities.
"This story reflected the power and reach of the USA TODAY NETWORK," says Jeff Taylor, Executive Editor of the IndyStar. "We have journalists in local markets all over the country who have deep experience in covering their states and communities, and they can link up with reporters and editors at the national level and collaborate on coverage from all angles to deliver exclusive stories that you can't get anywhere else. When we had the story confirmed, we worked with our colleagues at the national level as the day developed."
So there you have it: Local reporters collaborating with national news teams to break news stories of epic proportions.
More recently, USA TODAY NETWORK published Trump Nation and Clinton Nation,a two-part special edition series of USA TODAY that provides a local perspective on each of the candidates from real people interviewed by local reporters in all 50 states. To make this happen, the Network tapped into its local properties to secure these exclusive one-on-one interviews.
To maximize mainstream access to this one-of-a-kind reporting, Trump Nation and Clinton Nation will be available on the USA TODAY website at the USA TODAY Shop after they publish. Additionally, the deep dive coverage into the supporters of each candidate features photos and an interactive audio that allows audiences to see who they are and experience their emotion and passion first-hand on usatoday.com.