Part 1
We interviewed Scott Braddock , the editor of the Quorum Report in Texas. He is reporting on the progress of primary votes in Texas, where early voting has started. The Republicans are outvoting Democrats. About 650,000 Republicans have voted, versus about 550,000 Democrats. It may be that Democrats are waiting for the results of South Carolina. Democratic candidates can get delegates, even if they don’t win over all. In addition, Texas has the lowest voter participation in the US. The platforms presented by Democrats contain issues such as climate change, environment, and these may also be affecting voting trends, since Texas is heavily dependent on oil and associated industries. Some Texas politicians, including republicans have shown some sympathy to discussing climate change, and ‘bridges’, such as natural gas, to eliminating dependence on oil.
Part 2
We talk to Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University in Boston, about the decline in the number of newspapers, and how this has affected readership, dissemination of information, and, of course, the number of jobs for journalists. “Burgers, Beers, the Journalism Experiment in Texas.” We discuss an experiment based in Marfa, Texas. The Experiment is described as a combination of coffeeshop, restaurant, and bar being run to support a local newspaper. Members of the community are using this meeting place to create a closer-knit community to share news, and to see how the newspaper is being supported by funding by the community through the restaurant operation. The news are a way to create a hub for civic life.
