02/16/2018

Politico editor discusses D.C. politics

Photo (from left to right): Dennis Hetzel and Carrie Budoff Brown

By Lauren Fisher, Ohio University

From its humble roots as a small website started by two former editors from The Washington Post, Politico has grown to become one of the most influential sources for national political news.

Carrie Budoff Brown, who became Politico’s top editor in 2016, delivered the luncheon address at the Ohio News Media Association’s convention, during which she spoke pointedly about the current state of journalism in Washington, D.C.

“It’s unlike anything anybody’s ever seen.” Brown said.

With correspondents overseas in Europe, Brown said Politico is also primed to cover centers of global power in ways the competition haven’t been able to achieve. And the effort has paid off. Brown said Politico’s website counts about 25 million unique visitors per month.

Growing page views, however, has never been Politico’s aim.

“It’s not how many people read us,” Brown said. “It’s who reads us. We care who reads us. And we care that we are the dominant news source for politics.”

One of Politico’s most successful ventures, Playbook, is a morning email newsletter that reaches many of D.C.’s most influential politicians, reporters, and leaders. As of 2017, a weekly Playbook sponsorship cost between $50,000 and $60,000.

The organization has recently been driving web traffic through its interactive news team and its series of podcasts, which focus on everything from money and health policy to women’s issues and global politics.

Brown said that today, more and more of Politico’s brand identity comes from recognition on Apple News. And in a time of political contention, readers are hungrier than ever before for political journalism.

Unprecedented leaks have also provided Washington reporters with constant insights into the Trump White House — feeding a news cycle that Brown said has been “extraordinarily exhausting” for Politico reporters who cover the presidency.

She recalled the early days of the Trump presidency, when former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer personally attacked two Politico reporters. Although the attacks on the press were more extreme early on, Brown said she sometimes finds it “personally challenging” to keep up with new levels of dishonesty from politicians.

And with animosity toward journalists reaching new levels, and efforts to mislead reporters posing a significant threat to credibility, Brown knows the only thing she can truly control is her newsroom.

“I need to be fact-based,” Brown said. “And Politico has a good track record.”