Reading About Debates: The 2nd Montana Senate Debate
Butte Montana, Sept 24 - Senate President John Tester and Senator Conrad Burns held their second of six US Senate debates before a more subdued audience than their first debate, returning to issues of Jobs and Corruption that have characterized the contest. (The Montana Standard, Butte).
Where would one turn if they wanted to learn more about the debate's content? Television ran some visuals, but relied primarily on visuals (video)
Newspapers provided more, with the AP story dominating state and National coverage. It was brief and generalized in only the broadest sense. It was picked up across the country appearing from the LA Times to the Washington Post.
If you really wanted to know the "themes" in the debate you would turn to more independent newspaper covering the debate. Reporter Gwen Florio, Great Falls Tribune and Leslie McCarney, The Montana Standard (debate's sponsor) both provide more information that the AP summary.
If one really wanted to know what happened in the debate it is time to turn to the major on-line newspaper (part blog, part Poor Richard Almanac, part Wikipedia for reporters) for some real substance. The on-line "newspaper" is NEW WEST: the Voice of the Rocky Mountains. Reporter Paul Driscoll writes "Lobbying Questions Fire Up Butte Burns-Tester Senate Debate." The article parallels a superior effort in the first Burns/Tester Hamilton debate by New West.
