“Are you in charge of politics?”
The question is almost always met with looks of shock, comfort or disgust, as if they had noticed the political coloring on my suit jacket or backpack.
I don't blame them.
Only 4% of Americans say the U.S. political system is currently working extremely well or very well, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center poll. A 2022 Pew Research Center poll found that more and more people believe members of the opposing party are not only wrong in their policy positions, but also immoral, dishonest and lazy.
But some people are interested in my work. “Have you ever met Donald Trump or Barack Obama?” I have to disappoint them again. I can only listen from afar, sweating in the auditorium at Olentangy-Orange High School, or straining my ears at East High School in Cleveland.
I mostly cover state government and politics, somewhere between Congress and City Hall.
I spend a lot of time explaining why this level of government is important and impacts people's lives. State legislators decide how much you pay in taxes, how much money goes to schools, what kind of health care you can or can't get, and, importantly, which cookie is designated the official state cookie. (Sugar cookies aren't doing so well.)
I began covering state politics for the Cincinnati Enquirer in 2015 after a stint with the Newark Advocate and Media Network of Central Ohio, a group of 10 newspapers. I currently write for the USA Today Network's Ohio bureau, which includes the Columbus Dispatch, the Akron Beacon Journal and the Canton Repository.
During that time, I've reported on Ohio's largest money-sharing scandal, involving a Fortune 500 company, one of Ohio's top politicians and many others, and every day we learn new information about the scheme.
I've covered confused voter rolls, loopholes in Ohio's background check system, and an overhaul of the way politicians draw congressional and state legislative districts — a drawn-out, unconstitutional process that involved watching two out-of-state consultants sit in a room drawing maps and contemplating what to order for dinner.
This research is crucial because it shows that people behave differently when they know they are being watched, whether that be a kid caught stealing cookies by their parents or a politician caught passing an unpopular bill in the middle of the night.
According to a Pew Research Center report, the number of full-time state legislative reporters nationwide fell by 34% between 2014 and 2022. Ohio's capitol press corps is one of the largest (and some say most talented) in the country, but there simply aren't enough eyes and ears to keep an eye on those in power.
But politics isn't all bad. I've met so many public servants who wake up every morning thinking about how to make Ohio a better place to live. They put cause above honor. Seeing them gives me hope that politics don't have to be so divisive, and that we can find creative solutions to our state's biggest problems.
If you know me, it may be from Governor Mike DeWine's daily COVID-19 press conferences or from WOSU's weekly news shows, “Columbus on the Record” and “All Sides with Anna Staver.” If you can't spot me in a crowd, that's OK. I'd rather let my reporting speak for itself.
But since you're here, I'll let you know that I'm a Columbus native, a graduate of Bishop Watterson High School, and an alumnus of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and Marching 110. My first job was delivering The Booster in Clintonville, but I've also made delicious popcorn at Lenox Town Center 24. I volunteer with the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), which gives me the opportunity to see live theater for free.
If you see me around Columbus or on the campaign trail, ask me about how I visited every Columbus and Franklin County Metropark, why the Chestnut Praline Latte is the best Starbucks holiday drink, and how deep Ohio State's next quarterback corps should be.
Anything but politics.
Jesse Balmert is a reporter for the USA Today Network's Ohio bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio..
