Media, politicos to dissect local election coverage

Colorado Media Matters hosts its annual post-election media wrap discussion with a rock ’em, sock ’em panel today at the Denver Art Museum.

Media-watchdog-in-chief Bill Menezes will serve as moderator to some of Colorado’s sharpest political watchers:

Hank Brown, former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president
Adam Schrager, political reporter, KUSA 9News
Robert Moore, editor, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Cara DeGette, senior reporter, The Colorado Independent
Tara Trujillo, spokeswoman, Mark Udall campaign
Wayne Laugesen, editorial page editor, The Gazette of Colorado Springs

The pugnacious campaign between Mark Udall and Bob Schaffer will no doubt be a hot topic of conversation.

Menezes thinks so too.

“After a campaign cycle in which Dick Wadhams and his ilk led too many of the media around by the nose, this is a chance to talk about some of the things the media did well in the 2008 election,” said Menezes. “This panel of people who were down in the trenches covering this race or otherwise contributing the public voice also is likely to have some pretty strong and divergent ideas about how media influenced the public dialogue about the races, what the media missed in covering those races and how new media played into the whole equation, both for old-time outlets such as the newspapers as well as emerging competitors such as The Colorado Independent.”

The free discussion will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Denver Art Museum’s Sharp Auditorium. Contact Serena Woods for questions or directions.