Writer in Residence Thomas Beaumont, a UW-Madison alumnus and political reporter, spoke Tuesday of the hardships and satisfaction of his position at the Des Moines Register with students.
Beaumont, chief political reporter of the Des Moines Register, served as the lead political writer on the 2007-'08 Iowa caucus campaign. As the only writer for the Des Moines newspaper covering the election, he said his position required him to write broader, deeper, richer content.""
However, the high pressure aspect of his job ended on Jan. 3 after the Iowa caucus.
""I go out to New Hampshire for a week, come home and crash to the ground in fetal position for two months,"" Beaumont said of the period after the caucus.
Beaumont made a significant sacrifice in order to remain unbiased in his political reporting. He has ceased to vote in any elections.
""I think it is worth it to sacrifice that right so that everybody else can make a well informed decision and no one can criticize my objectivity,"" he said.
Although he enjoyed the pressure of covering the election, he faced several challenges.
""My biggest challenge was to stay ahead of the national competition as much as I could because they have more resources and commit more bodies,"" he said.
Beaumont said the most rewarding part of his job is covering campaigns allows him to play a part in democracy.
Before 2002, Beaumont was a general assignment reporter, covering federal courts and immigration issues.
""I really liked being a general assignment reporter because there's always something new.""
However, he said his current position appealed more to his interest in politics.
As a political writer, Beaumont said he considers himself to successfully serve the interests of citizens.
""You feel like you're actually contributing. You are helping people make decisions based on people who want to be leaders of the free world.
