GOP 2004: Scribes for Smaller Papers Have to Scramble

By: Joe Strupp For every Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune and R.W. Apple of The New York Times at the Republican National Convention, there's a Fred Lucas of the Danbury (Conn.) News-Times or an A. Jay Higgins of the Bangor (Maine) Daily News.

While their readerships may not break the 500,000 mark like their larger, wealthier brethren, and they may not be able to afford hundreds of square feet of private filing space in the vast media center, these small dailies are here in force, often with a mission sharply different than their larger counterparts.

"We have quite a few papers who have sent just one person," said Laura Reed of the convention's media credential center, who cited papers as varied as The Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo., and the Rutland (Vt.) Herald. "They are here and working."

For most, however, filing space is limited to the two unassigned media filing centers located in Madison Square Garden's lower level and the second floor of the Farley Building. Although larger news organizations have leased space for dozens of computer terminals and meeting areas, many smaller papers must take spots in the two filing centers, which offer a pay phone and Internet link, but no computers.

"I had a little trouble with the phone lines, but it is finally working," Lucas said as he finished a story in the filing center inside the Garden Monday. At 28, he is attending his second convention, having spent time at the Democratic gathering in Boston. "It is pretty awesome," he said. "You can walk around and almost always see someone famous."

Staying at a Comfort Inn just three blocks from the convention, after having traveled to New York via bus, Lucas said his paper did not order him to live cheap, but he is seeking to save as much as he can. "I am definitely spending more than normal for me," he explained as he took out one of the two complimentary phone cards given to reporters by the GOP. "So I am trying to save them as much as I can."

Lucas said he is looking at big picture stories, but also Connecticut-focused stories, including a piece on how moderate Republicans from his state are and how they were affected by Sept. 11.

For Higgins of Bangor, the local focus also is key. At 55, he has been with the paper 33 years, but never covered a convention. His stories are ranging from what the Maine delegates think of major speeches to what they thought of their visit to the Broadway show Bombay Dreams, which Higgins accompanied them to Sunday night.

Although he is able to afford a room in the W New York hotel, where his state's delegation is staying, Higgins is having to spend extra money not normally needed for his regular assignments. "I probably dropped $100 in cab fares in one day on Sunday," he remarked. "Going to the show and the hotels and the delegates gatherings, it adds up."

Then there's Ed Mead, a columnist with The Erie (Pa.) Times-News, who has covered every convention since 1960 for the newspaper, owned by his family. Mead said he took up the job after his father, John, who had covered the political gatherings, died in 1959. He is also chairman of the board.

"I remember when everyone had to go to a filing center like this, and they gave you free phones," Mead recalled as he waited for a phone call in the Garden filing area. "We had to give copy to Western Union to file it and they would deliver it to the newsroom."

Mead's stories also differ from the national political approaches of a Los Angeles Times or Boston Globe. His lead story on Monday wasn't the release of the GOP party platform or Mayor Michael Bloomberg's opening remarks, but a Pennsylvania delegate's emergency heart surgery back home.