Being Kind and Being Busy: That’s The N&O’s Washington reporter on busy political week
Danielle Battaglia works out of our D.C. bureau, covering North Carolina politics from a national perspective. We only see her in-person a couple of times a year, but Danielle is a beloved member of The News & Observer family.
Danielle is among the first journalists to join our staff calls at 8:45 a.m. weekdays, so I occasionally banter with her about D.C. weather, about whether she’s on her way to the White House that day or about Julie, her cute-and-curious-but-cautious dog. We also chat about Chipotle.
Yet last week, whenever Danielle popped onto our video call, the conversation started the same way: “Why are you on this call?”
If anyone had a legitimate reason to play hooky from a phone-in meeting, it was Danielle.
Busy days for Danielle
For wannabe White House correspondents, this is how last week went for Danielle:
Last Saturday, in D.C., an apparent day off. But there’s a shooter at former President Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. Danielle starts posting and filing with what credible information is available while also reaching out for reactions from North Carolina politicians on the assassination attempt.
Early Sunday morning, she’s on a flight to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee while continuing to work on stories.
Monday through Thursday, she started with our staff call at 7:45 a.m. Milwaukee time followed by a full evening-turned-night of convention coverage.
Friday, the morning after President Trump’s closing speech at the convention, she admitted to having a cold.
And, with attention on President Biden’s future, who knows how much recovery time Danielle will have from her Wisconsin-made sniffles.
Convention coverage resonates with N&O subscribers
Coverage of the Republican National Convention resonated with N&O subscribers, according to our audience metrics. North Carolina’s presence at the convention and within the Republican Party came through in our reporting.
Here is a sampling of North Carolina headlines from staff-reported convention stories:
▪ NRCC chairman Richard Hudson of NC tells RNC that Republicans must keep House majority
▪ UNC fraternity members ‘proud to honor our flag again’ at Republican National Convention
▪ NC’s Mark Robinson introduces himself at the Republican National Convention. What to know.
▪ GOP leaders put NC on the map at the RNC convention. Meet Lara Trump and Michael Whatley
State Politics Editor Jordan Schrader is the calmest dude you’ll ever meet in a perpetual storm of breaking and merging news. His team is relatively young but competitive, insightful and talented. If you’re not following the work of Danielle, Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, Avi Bajpai, Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, Kyle Ingram and Korie Dean … well … you should.
The N&O’s Under the Dome includes a popular podcast and a regular email. For state politics and government followers, they are must reads on the ever-changing NC Politics Bingo Card.
Who had Sen. Tillis making a last-minute trip to RNC on their card? Or Vice President Kamala Harris making another stop in NC?
Covering politics takes persistence, patience and thick, thick skin. Some politicians understand the importance of engagement with voters, and how journalists serve as that truth-telling conduit. Other politicians and politicos are obstinate or simply bullies.
Be Kind
Danielle often starts her social-media postings each day with a two-word message: Be Kind. For understandable reasons.
A recent newsletter from NC Local News Workshop did a Q&A with Danielle on covering the Republican National Convention that included this question: There’s been some aggressive rhetoric against journalists since the PA shooting, and some online harassment directed at you. What are you doing to stay safe, both in Milwaukee and online?
Here is how Danielle answered: For the most part I’m ignoring it. My followers are great. Many have reached out in direct messages to make sure I’m OK. Others have called me. My friends and family also remind me why my job is important and why I do what I do. Throughout my career I’ve come to find that threats and hateful comments typically come from a place of frustration and that there isn’t a lot of merit behind them, but that doesn’t negate taking them seriously. And of course the words being said repeatedly will sting after a while, but honestly, I’ve been so busy that I don’t have time to think too much about the things being said about me.
Be Kind. Be Busy.
That’s Danielle.
Morning, night and even with the sniffles.
Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer.
