Raw Story goes behind the scenes at the Republican National Convention

"Welcome to Tampa for the Republican National Convention" signs scream out from lampposts, billboards and shop windows across the region, as conventioneers continue to pour into Tampa from across the country and media descends from across the world to cover the Republican Party's 4-day free advertisement for its candidate for president, former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA).

But with the media focused on the big speeches political stars, protestors kept quite a distance from the magnetometers leading to the convention itself -- not that the Republican Party faithful are a receptive audience for "Tax The Rich" signs -- and gates and security hemming even the press in from all angles, most media coverage will reflect what the Republicans want you to see.

Raw Story's trying something different.

Throughout the RNC this week (and the DNC next week), Raw Story's on-the-ground reporters will be bringing you exclusive interviews with some people party leaders wish would just shut up, candid journalists (on the right and the left) and regular delegates who don't necessarily have enough bling to make it on camera, reported pieces looking at the policy issues rather than just the political spin, coverage of the protests and why they're here and convention diaries to take you behind the scenes from our perspectives.

But we won't stop when the speeches start: we'll be live-streaming the convention speeches with live commentary and fact-checking that will allow our readers to ask questions, participate in the fact checking and make the speeches more than just free commercials for the party.

Follow our convention coverage , and for more RNC-specific Tweets, follow executive editor Megan Carpentier's Twitter feed.

[Image via juxtapose^esopatxuj on Flickr, Creative Commons licensed]