It is difficult for journalists to cover party conventions. The counterintuitive reason is that their perception of what matters is skewed by how close they are to the drama of what’s happening.

Most Americans consume convention coverage very differently, in small doses from their homes. They catch a speech here or there, they form an opinion, and they go to bed. Their perception of the events at a party convention could hardly be more different than that of reporters who spend the entire week breathlessly reporting every minor development.