election

Tumblr Brings Its Quirky, Fun, Serious, Goofy Style to the Conventions and Beyond

Tumblr’s election blog and correspondents get a shout-out on Forbes!

Alex Kantrowitz writes:

Last week in Tampa, Meg Lanker-Simons, a blogger on assignment for Tumblr, caught up with former RNC chairman Michael Steele outside a branch of Wet Willies, a chain mostly known for its assortment of slushy alcoholic drinks. Steele, sporting a blue suit, sneakers and an untucked shirt, stood on the sidewalk as he talked into Lanker-Simons’s voice recorder. “So, you know what, can you take the chill pill and relax about it a little bit?” he said, finishing an answer about his decision to host the Republican National Convention in hurricane prone Tampa. “The sun is out right now, I made a phone call, and it’s all good.”

The interview encapsulates the spirit of Tumblr. It is at once gritty, entertaining, informative and untraditional, a far cry from the sanitized stages and studios that dot the grounds of this year’s nominating conventions. And for Tumblr, that’s exactly the point. Throughout the conventions and continuing on until the votes are cast in November, Tumblr will be providing its own original coverage of the election. The coverage, already underway, tells the story of the 2012 election through a stream of animated gifs, Photoshop propelled memes, salient quotes and meaningful photography.

I really just want to high five all of you right now. Truly. Thank you for reading our coverage and thank you to Tumblr for this amazing opportunity. Now, back to your irregularly scheduled programming.

— Meg