Nov 05, 2014 - 2:00pm

Politico is Doing for Politics What ESPN Did for Sports


Senior Editor, Digital Content

We just finished another election cycle, and for many political junkies, Politico was a critical source for campaign coverage.

The rise of the Internet has dramatically changed the business of covering politics, and Politico--still a relative newcomer at seven years old—is a deep part of that change.

In an interview with FreeEnterprise.com [part 1, part 2], Politico's co-founder, president, CEO, and Wisconsin-native, Jim VandeHei summed up the company’s mission:

We realized that you could basically do for politics what ESPN did for sports. And you could take advantage of people’s compulsive interest in politics and make a business out of it. That was our fundamental bet back then, and it turned out to be a good bet.

And just like how ESPN goes after sports junkies, Politico focuses on serving a niche and not a mass audience:

I want people who are in government, in business—people who are serious and who need this information to be smarter, to do their jobs, to live their lives more effectively. That’s what I want. I don’t want the masses. I’m happy to have them and if they want to read our coverage then God bless them. But it’s not what we’re going after.

As for the political landscape, before knowing the election results, VandeHei said he expected political gridlock in Washington to continue:

I don’t think much can be done to fix it in the short-term. I think we’re looking at least until 2022 to get out of this cycle.

Does it change? I think change comes from presidents. I really think that’s ultimately where it has to come from—presidents who are capturing the imagination of the public and pushing Congress in a different direction.

I hope he's wrong. Voters showed us that they want a new direction in Washington--one where Congress and the White House put policies in place that strengthen the economy.

One thing is for sure, whether we like it or not, the 2016 Presidential cycle has already started, and Politico will be covering it.

More Articles On: 

About the Author

About the Author

Sean Hackbarth
Senior Editor, Digital Content

Sean writes about public policies affecting businesses including energy, health care, and regulations. When not battling those making it harder for free enterprise to succeed, he raves about all things Wisconsin (his home state) and religiously follows the Green Bay Packers.