‘On the Trail’ is an incomplete portrait of what it’s like to be a female political journalist

2020 has been anything but normal. There have been long-overdue protests against police brutality forming in thousands of cities, a dangerous pandemic that keeps spreading across the globe, and an election cycle that continues to polarize the nation. What happens when all of these things converge? HBO Max’s newest documentary aims to find out, but it only shows part of the story.

On the Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries is not about the presidential candidates who are out campaigning. Rather, it follows the various female journalists who cover the campaigns for CNN. While it spends ample time on seasoned anchors like Kyung Lah and Dana Bash, it also focusses on the chaotic lives of young embeds like Jasmine Wright and Daniella Diaz, who are required to follow their assigned candidates at all times.

These women’s varying backgrounds and points of view give the documentary strength. 

These women’s varying backgrounds and points of view give the documentary strength. While Lah is seen sacrificing family time to head out on the trail for weeks, Diaz is shown chasing around Elizabeth Warren with a camera 24/7 in hopes of being given bigger and better coverage opportunities in the future. We see Kaitlan Collins and her media colleagues being mocked by President Donald Trump at a rally and Wright getting frustrated by Amy Klobuchar’s disconnect with Black voters. We see these women breaking news, watching debates, traveling to their next destinations, packing up hotel rooms, working from the studio, and explaining how their individual experiences inform the ways in which they report. This is all good stuff, as it reveals how demanding political journalism can be. However, even though the story is focused on women and displays aspects of the female experience, it bypasses many of the more serious challenges they face.

On the Trail‘s female journalists discuss being underestimated by the people around them, but we’re never shown examples of this. The reporters discuss how the female presidential candidates are treated differently because of their gender but spend less time focusing on how they as reporters are viewed differently for the same reason. I’m also surprised that the sexual harassment of female journalists wasn’t a bigger talking point. Back when I was a student journalist in college, I experienced far more aggression from the people I interacted with because of my gender than we see these women face. So why is the discussion on sexism and harassment so light?

Perhaps the reason these heavier topics aren’t explored as much is because On the Trail is a film about CNN made by CNN. After all, why would CNN want to show its female journalists being mistreated by their colleagues? Why would it reveal that some of these women are likely underpaid? Why would it confirm that the embeds are stripped away of any work-life balance? Why would it show them being bullied online by people who regularly consume the news? Maybe CNN truly is a great place to be employed, but that doesn’t mean the job comes without a very specific kind of stress and sexism. The latter of these two things is everywhere, and exposing this could have raised further awareness.

While some of the featured women like embed Wright offer frank commentary on voters of color and what the media needs to do better, others like longtime anchor Lah seem to intentionally veer away from criticizing her field and employer. She presents a polished appearance to viewers, even causing one of her colleagues to joke over the phone, “It’s as if you have a camera crew following you around today.” Though she swears off the remark, she seems to present the best version of herself through most of the rest of the film. And while putting on a face is understandable, it keeps viewers from getting a complete portrait of reality.

While the documentary isn’t primarily about the candidates — it’s about the journalists covering them — the progressing political narrative is a bit scattered.

While the documentary isn’t primarily about the candidates — it’s about the journalists covering them — the underlying political narrative is a bit scattered. Yes, the candidate that is set to win the presidential bid frequently changes throughout the Democratic primaries. However, while the documentary always mentions who is in the lead, it does a subpar job at explaining why. The transitions between candidates are shaky, particularly early in the film. The story cleans up as the candidates drop out, but it would have been nice had it been clearer from the get-go. The documentary could have filled the gaps with information we didn’t already know and brought something new to the political discussion.

Despite On the Trail feeling a bit out of focus, it’s not a total throw-away. The women bond with and compliment one another, regardless of their level of seniority. It will forever be refreshing to see women supporting other women in their careers. I also loved that the women in their 20s got a huge spotlight, especially being that climbing the career ladder today is wildly different than it was even just a handful of years ago. Whether good or bad, hustling is a real and required part of making it in media — and On the Trail shows the struggle. And on top of it all, the documentary is well-produced; the visuals are crisp and the shots are varied.

On the Trail‘s ending sits funny, mainly because COVID-19 forced the campaign trails to slow down, and after that came the calls for social justice. Lah gets sick with a fever (she speculates that it might have been coronavirus) and Diaz moves back home with her parents. It’s not like the documentary’s creators could choose what happened to the world in 2020, but the way it’s communicated still feels a little abrupt, even with the foreshadowing plugged earlier in the film.

If you like politics or are interested in the behind-the-scenes parts of media, On the Trail is likely to interest you. If the directors had found the story behind the story, however, it could have moved from a decent documentary to a truly powerful one.

On the Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries is now streaming on HBO Max.