POLITICO: An Oral History of When Politico Came to Capitol Hill

When it launched on Jan. 23, 2007, POLITICO promised its readers an “unblinking focus” on covering politics. “We will embrace the way journalism is changing,” an early mission statement read. The subjects of that coverage — the lawmakers and staffers who populated Capitol Hill and the White House — weren’t quite as ready to embrace that change. The view of the upstart publication from inside the halls of power ranged from amazed to appalled to enraged. ROKK Partners Kristen Hawn and Rodell Mollineau share their thoughts in this article.