Oops! We could not locate your form.

How to Cover the Iowa Caucuses (2023)

$0.00

Application is closed

How to Cover the Iowa Caucuses (2023)

This free on-the-ground workshop in Iowa combines training and reporting opportunities to help political journalists better cover the 2024 presidential election. Applications are now closed.

September 13, 2023– September 15, 2023

Overview

  • Travel to Des Moines, Iowa, for three days of skills-building training on the campus of Drake University.
  • Meet other journalists covering the presidential election.
  • Enjoy foundational training for journalists in Iowa covering the caucuses for the first time.
  • Out-of-town journalists can get reporting opportunities they might not otherwise.
  • The training is free to accepted participants and supported by Drake University.
  • Travel costs (hotel and flight) are covered by Poynter for a limited number of participants.
  • Please indicate on your application if you would like to be considered for a travel stipend.
  • Applicants will be admitted on a rolling basis.

$0.00

Application is closed
SKU: IOWA-23

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn the intricacies of the Iowa caucuses and what changes are in store for 2024.
  • Hear from political operatives on the state of the race in Iowa.
  • Get tips on telling stories using campaign finance data and polling.
  • Incorporate fact-checking into your political storytelling playbook.
  • Understand how campaigns are using artificial intelligence to win over voters.
  • Report from the early campaign trail.

$0.00

Application is closed

Overview

  • Travel to Des Moines, Iowa, for three days of skills-building training on the campus of Drake University.
  • Meet other journalists covering the presidential election.
  • Enjoy foundational training for journalists in Iowa covering the caucuses for the first time.
  • Out-of-town journalists can get reporting opportunities they might not otherwise.
  • The training is free to accepted participants and supported by Drake University.
  • Travel costs (hotel and flight) are covered by Poynter for a limited number of participants.
  • Please indicate on your application if you would like to be considered for a travel stipend.
  • Applicants will be admitted on a rolling basis.

Training five or more people?
Check out our custom training.

Applications are now closed for this training. 

As the first electoral test for GOP presidential hopefuls, the Iowa caucus can make or break candidates.

For the months leading up to the caucus, candidates feast and fest with fervor, trying to stand out from the crowd and communicate their vision for the country.

Journalists are essential in helping voters sift through the noise. They dig into the politicians, their policies and the prognosis of their campaigns. Join the Poynter Institute and Drake University for a three-day workshop to equip journalists covering the Iowa caucuses with the skills and savvy they need to best serve their audiences, hold candidates accountable and make ethical, informed choices about what to cover.

This program will bring together about 30 political journalists — from Iowa journalists covering the caucuses for the first time, to cable network embeds tracking a candidate’s every word, to local and regional journalists trying to keep up with the mechanics of a presidential campaign from afar.

Participants will learn the intricacies and oddities of the caucus process and hear from GOP political operatives on the state of the race. They’ll also get hard skills they can take to any newsroom, including lessons on how to make the most out of campaign finance data, adding fact-checking into their reporting arsenal, and understanding how campaigns are using artificial intelligence to try and connect with voters.

This training builds on past programs conducted by Poynter and Drake University in 2015 and 2019, and includes the chance for out-of-town reporters to get on-the-ground reporting time.

The three-day workshop is timed to coincide with the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition annual fall banquet, where 2024 GOP presidential candidates are expected to attend. Journalists may extend their stay to cover the candidates in Iowa in person.

Questions?

If you need assistance, email us at info@poynter.org.

Wednesday, Sept. 13

5 p.m. Welcome and overview 

5:30 p.m. How Do Caucuses Work?

7:30-9:30 p.m. Welcome reception

Thursday, Sept. 14

9 a.m. Running a presidential campaign in Iowa 

10:45 a.m. A new tool on the trail — AI

There’s a new tool for political campaigns to attack their opponents: artificial intelligence. Ron DeSantis’ PAC this year used an AI tool to create Donald Trump’s voice. Other campaigns are using AI for images and video. At the same time, AI tools are popping up to help (or hurt) your reporting. We dig into all of it.

12:15 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Voters want the truth

Fact-checking remains an important part of political coverage. Learn from the editors of PolitiFact how to incorporate fact-checking into your daily coverage of the candidates, how to identify the best claims to scrutinize, how to best protect yourself from the criticism that is almost sure to follow and how to do it all quickly.

3:15 p.m. Finding the story: Campaign finance data

5 p.m. Wrap up

Friday, Sept. 15

9 a.m. How polling gets it right and wrong — and how to tell the difference

10:45 a.m. Political extremism in the public square

Though it received the most global attention, the insurrection at the U.S. capitol is just one example of a disinformation-fueled attack on the American democratic process. And it didn’t end the trend toward mainstream extremism. How do you cover elections for a public that is extremely fractured? This session will help journalists learn how to stay safe and produce ethical, excellent stories about voting, security and local issues leading up to the 2024 election.

Noon. Lunch and learn: Covering the new Republican Party

1:45 p.m. Final thoughts

Saturday, Sept. 16

Optional: Attend and report on the candidates participating at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition annual fall banquet.

This training is for political reporters covering the 2024 presidential election, or for political journalists looking to level up their skills ahead of congressional, state and local elections in 2024. We’re looking for journalists who would benefit from being on the ground in Iowa ahead of caucus day, or for Iowa journalists who are covering the caucuses for the first time. Preference will be given to journalists employed by a local or regional newsroom.

Travel costs (hotel and flight) are covered by Poynter for a limited number of participants. Please indicate on your application if you would like to be considered for a travel stipend.

Apply by Aug. 21.

Instructors

  • Aaron Sharockman
    Executive Director, PolitiFact and Vice President for Sales & Strategic Partnerships
    Aaron Sharockman is the executive director of PolitiFact, the largest fact-checking organization in the United States. Aaron leads the growth and development of PolitiFact, manages...
    Read More
  • Katie Sanders
    Managing Editor, PolitiFact
    Katie Sanders is the managing editor of PolitiFact. Previously, she fact-checked talking heads and opinion-shapers for PunditFact as well as the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott for PolitiFact Florida, reporting from the Tallahassee...
    Read More
  • Rachel Paine Caufield
    Professor Co-Chair, Department of Political Science, Drake University
    Professor Rachel Paine Caufield earned her Ph.D. at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., specializing in American politics and political science methodology, and her...
    Read More
  • Catherine Staub
    Dean & Professor, Drake University
    Catherine Staub joined the faculty in the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2015. Before being named Dean in 2022 she was the...
    Read More

Thank you to our sponsors:

Related Products