At Re:form, Paul Lukas delves into TV reporters and political pundits' penchant for wearing the color purple during election coverage:
Purple punditry has been with us for several election cycles now (I first noticed it in 2004), but it was taken to a new level during the recent midterms. In the past, Election Night reporters wore purple without acknowledging why they were doing so, creating a stealth movement whose subtext was quickly decoded by political junkies. This time around, however, several reporters proudly tweeted their purple attire early in the day, making the phenomenon feel like a hashtag-driven parlor game. That impression was reinforced later in the evening when Newt Gingrich — nobody’s idea of an objective or nonpartisan observer—appeared on CNN wearing a purple necktie. The message was clear: Purple attire on Election Night has now become a sort of wink-wink membership card, a sign that you’re part of the media club, a way of showing you’re hip to the game.
