In an era of media fragmentation and political disillusionment, the myth and reality of political journalism have never been further apart. Ideals of informing citizens, investigating the powerful, and representing diverse voices persist. Audiences, though, often don’t believe in the same facts and ignore reporting that does not conform to their pre-existing views. Politicians disregard journalists when it does not serve their purposes, interacting instead with whatever media (entertainment, partisan, social, etc.) cultivates assent, preferably without subjecting them to uncomfortable questions. News organizations, heavily oriented to economic concerns, adapt their offerings to whatever the market will support. How, then, do these conditions impact the definition and practice of political journalism today.

Publications:

• “Explaining the Feminization of Statehouse Reporting in One American State: A Field Analysis.” With Russell Hansen, Meagan Doll and Patricia Moy. Journalism Practice, published online before print September 10, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2025.2554244
• “New Life for Statehouse News? The View from One American State.” With Meagan Doll, Russell Hansen, Polly Straub-Cook, and Patricia Moy. Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, published online before print February 5, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849251319198
• “Missing a Beat? Exploring U.S. State Legislative Coverage Beyond the Politics Desk.” With Meagan Doll, Russell Hansen, and Patricia Moy. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, published online before print January 22, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990241312448
• “Statehouse Journalism in Transition: Insights from Olympia, Washington.” Report for the UW Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy, co-authored with Meagan Doll, Russell Hansen and Patricia Moy. January 2025. URL: https://cjmd.com.uw.edu/cjmd-report-statehouse-journalism-in-transition-insights-from-olympia-washington/
• “Inside Olympia – UW Prof Matt Powers on Statehouse Journalism.” TVW. March 6, 2025. https://tvw.org/video/inside-olympia-uw-prof-matt-powers-on-statehouse-journalism-2025031082/
• Matthew Powers, “Is Statehouse Reporting Set for a Revival?” Nieman Lab, January 15, 2025. https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/01/statehouse-reporting-is-set-for-a-revival/
• Brier Dudley, “Study documents steep, painful decline of Olympia press corps.” Seattle Times. January 8, 2025. https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/study-documents-steep-painful-decline-of-olympia-press-corps/