UCLA professor to contribute to New York Times political blog
By Tala Ahmadi
Feb. 21, 2014 1:38 a.m.
UCLA professor and political scientist Lynn Vavreck will join forces with the New York Times this spring, as a contributor for their new data-driven political blog.
When the blog was in its planning phases, Vavreck, an associate professor of political science and communication studies, was already at the top of the list for potential contributors to the new venture, said David Leonhardt, the blog’s managing editor.
“I think there is a lot of journalism and punditry that does not always get the story right,” Vavreck said. “Data should be seen by readers.”
In 2013, she co-authored a book, “The Gamble: Choice and Chance in the 2012 Presidential Election,” that used statistics to explain the trends and outcome of the 2012 presidential election. Vavreck has published three other books about politics, is the recipient of multiple grants from the National Science Foundation and has served on the British and American National Election Studies’ advisory boards.
“Her skills and sensibilities fit so perfectly. She is not only a highly respected scholar but she is able to write for the biggest experts in the country in their language, and can also write for the rest of us in our language,” Leonhardt said. “That is a pretty rare thing.”
The New York Times blog will use statistics to cover politics and policy in a way that makes sense to readers, Leonhardt said.
“The stories we will write will be more like emails that a journalist would write to a smart friend trying to explain an issue,” Leonhardt said. “Readers have shown a hunger for this plain-spoken analytical journalism. I think there are a lot of people out there who want to read about the news in this conversational way.”
Vavreck will contribute one column every other week that uses statistics to break down campaigns, elections and public opinions for readers.
The blog will fill the space vacated by the departure of a statistics-based political prediction blog called FiveThirtyEight, from the New York Times.
FiveThirtyEight, spearheaded by Nate Silver, rose to fame in 2008 when Silver accurately predicted election outcomes for 49 out of 50 states. Silver’s blog is currently moving from the New York Times to ESPN, where he will return to focusing on sports while also exploring different areas like culture and economics.
The new blog will focus primarily on using statistics to break down complex political issues, but will also use graphics to create a visually interactive platform for readers, Leonhardt said.
“We are hoping to make information graphics not just things that accompany a story but are a real focus of the editorial process,” said Kevin Quealy, a graphics editor for the New York Times. “We are rethinking what our atomic unit will be.”
Vavreck said she is excited to use technology and the Internet to captivate and connect with readers.
“The Internet allows for the accumulation of lots of data and the ability to present it in a visual way people can interact with,” Vavreck said. “It allows for a deeper and more thoughtful presentation than a flat newspaper.”
Vavreck’s ability to get to the essence of complex issues and explain politics by showing readers what is most important was a large factor in her addition, Leonhardt said.
“She can translate scholarship for the rest of us,” he added.
