The Odd Years How can political journalism meet the moment? Astead Herndon has ideas.
Nov 25, 2025
Astead Herndon, a renowned political journalist known for his work with The New York Times and his upcoming role at Vox, dives into the evolving landscape of political journalism. He discusses the need to adapt traditional reporting methods to the rapid changes in media consumption. Astead critiques the rigidity of demographic categorization and emphasizes the importance of multimedia approaches to engage younger audiences. He stresses the need for authenticity in political messaging and urges Democrats to rethink their strategies ahead of the 2024 elections.
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Supplement Rules With New Reporting
- Supplement traditional reporting methods with new beats and formats to avoid being surprised by political shifts.
- Use field reporting and diverse inputs to detect emerging movements before they become mainstream.
Reporting Where People Actually Are
- Traditional political reporting often misallocates energy to rituals like VP picks and rallies that few voters care about.
- Astead Herndon argues journalism must meet audiences where they are, especially on video platforms like YouTube.
Labels Fail Voter Complexity
- Voter groups are fluid and ideological labels like 'progressive' or 'moderate' no longer map cleanly onto behavior.
- Herndon stresses granular, real-time reporting to capture shifting sentiments among voters.