Clark Talks: Podcast digs deeper into county beat, election

Want to learn more about local issues beyond the headlines while you’re driving to work or out on a jog? The Columbian has launched a new audio podcast called Clark Talks to reach beyond the headlines to Clark County residents.

Where does Clark County lean in the upcoming presidential race? What’s The Columbian’s new county reporter’s story? And why do newspapers endorse candidates, anyway?

Each week, Columbian reporters Dameon Pesanti and Katie Gillespie explore these questions in the latest episodes of Clark Talks, the newspaper’s podcast that explores the stories behind the news.

In the second episode of the podcast, Pesanti and Gillespie visit with Jake Thomas, who recently started as The Columbian’s county government reporter. They explore changes on the beat, as well as the upcoming Clark County council races.

They also talk to Pacific University professor Jim Moore about where Clark County fits in the heated presidential election between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. Moore, director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation, has decades of experience studying the history and science of elections.

They close this week’s episode with a conversation with Greg Jayne, The Columbian’s editorial page editor, about political endorsements — or, as Jayne prefers to call them, recommendations. What’s the history of candidate recommendations, and who is on the editorial board that makes those decisions?

To listen and subscribe to the podcast, search for Clark Talks on iTunes or Soundcloud or find them on columbian.com. New episodes are released every Thursday.