Election and data-center coverage demonstrate the value of audience-first journalism

It’s an opportunity for newsrooms to differentiate their journalism by providing answers to the public’s pressing questions — information and analysis they may be inclined to pay for.”

Gretchen A. Peck, editor-in-chief, E&P Magazine

When E&P’s October issue lands in your mailbox or inbox, the 2026 midterm elections will be mere weeks away. It is, without question, a consequential election. The stakes are high, especially in the nation’s capital, where the balance of power is on the ballot.

On Nov. 3, Americans will head to their local polling places to elect candidates to city councils, state legislatures and school boards. And many will base their votes on information they’ve gleaned from the news media. It is a weighty responsibility for newsrooms to ensure the public has the information needed to make well-informed choices come Election Day.

In anticipation of this month’s cover story, “The election desk: Newsrooms plan comprehensive coverage of a consequential midterm election,” E&P studied newsrooms around the country to understand how they’re approaching the sweeping midterm story and covering it from national, state and local perspectives — before, during and after Election Day. We’ve highlighted four of those newsrooms. They represent for-profit and nonprofit organizations, each with a distinctive audience and mission. But they shared one thing in common. Their coverage is driven by audience and the overarching questions: What information does our audience want? What does it need in the run-up to the 2026 midterms? And how can we deliver it through our journalism?

The answers vary.

For example, The Daily Beast’s vast digital audience of 27 million unique visitors each month wants insight into the personalities behind the politics.

Votebeat’s national audience appreciates explainers about how voting is conducted and the impact of changing voter laws. At The Associated Press, the U.S. politics team produces coverage that serves two audiences — member newsrooms and the broader public those local newsrooms serve.

Robert Gehrke, politics reporter at The Salt Lake Tribune, said Utah’s voters are keenly interested in government corruption, affordability, housing, the cost of groceries, water resources, election security and data centers. With that insight, the Tribune’s Statewatch team produced a voter guide which presented each candidates’ policy positions on these issues.

Which brings us to Tandy Lau’s feature this month, “Big tech, local questions,” about data centers. Perhaps you’ve seen the viral videos of contentious city council meetings around the country, where data centers are under debate. Public comment segments reveal questions, concerns and confusion.

According to the U.S. Data Center Map, as of August 2026, there are 3,359 operational data centers in the U.S.; 378 more are under construction, and 1,042 others are in the planning phase. While 87% of currently operating data centers are in urban or metropolitan areas, rural communities aren’t exempted. Pew Research Center estimates that 67% of the data centers under development will be in rural areas.

This is a massive story impacting communities in every state. It’s an opportunity for newsrooms to differentiate their journalism by providing answers to the public’s pressing questions — information and analysis they may be inclined to pay for.

After all, this is where local newsrooms excel: delivering practical information, with local context and proximity to people’s lives — even when the story itself is unfolding as far away as Washington, D.C.

Gretchen A. Peck is E&P’s editor-in-chief. She welcomes emails at editor@editorandpublisher.com.