It was certainly a historic election to cover, perhaps in ways I will only understand with time and reflection. Last night as I dozed off and looked over my video camera perched on my tripod, I thought about all the times we spent together. Will I ever be out on the trail again with my mobile pack? I sure hope so. But in the meantime, I’ll take the break to relax, reflect and write about what the experience was like…for better and worse. It was one of the greatest learning experiences in my lifetime.
For the final video, we all had the same assignment. Create a highlights reel of our work. I wanted to include not just mine, but a few of the others that I particularly enjoyed.
In April, there was an Earth Day Concert on the National Mall. I fought the rain, went and reported it – and think it is one of the coolest pieces I did. I got schooled in comedy by Chevy Chase and even better, discovered my peers engaging eachother on the election and issues, with beers in hand, on the National Mall. Who said we aren’t active? We just do it on our own terms.
Here is why it just came back to me. Less than 24 hours after Obama became the President-elect, in a lightening speed fashion, social network invitations starting pouring into inboxes across the country. The call to action for Obama’s Inauguration – was for everyone to Caravan to Washington to have “our own Inaugural celebration on the Mall.”
Hotels are sold out. In one facebook group alone, there are 1,939 confirmed guests. This is amazing. Who else is in?
It is not the kind of scare tactic you might expect. But with more than 70,000 views in 24 hours just three days before the election, the Obama-Biden camp is yet again successful at marketing a message. This viral ad poses the question to viewers: “On November 5th, Will You Have Done All that You Could Have?”
Here is a particularly good example of a video that leverages amatuer footage to give a very clear call-to-action in under 3 minutes.
“Two MTV Choose or Lose citizen journalists will take part in the first-ever Associated Press live streaming online continuous video stream, “Big Issue: Election Results.” Both will report their experiences from being on the ground, covering the youth vote throughout the year. The webcast will be available to some 2,000 Web sites of newspapers, broadcasters and other AP customers throughout the U.S. beginning at 7 pm ET on AP’s Online Video Network at http://www.ap.org.”
Be sure to check myself and Nevada Street Teamer, Michael Gonzales, as we show a few of our best videos and talk about what it has been like to be a part of the MTV-Associated Press Youth Press Corp.
Has anyone else seen Real Housewives of Atlanta? I’m telling you – that city is putting itself on the map! While this clip is not from Bravo, it goes to show, the A T L is on to something.
Here is a play on T.I.’s song, Whatever You Like. These seventh graders at Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta give it a new flavor with Vote However You Like.
Last weekend in DC, there was a sort of…”Last Call” party for Barack Obama.
It was a massive phone banking telethon – designed by Obama’s national headquarters, organized and put into action by the DC for Obama office.
Rachel, a full-time volunteer, was on hand to talk. She had two cell phones, numbers scratched in Sharpie on the back of each and a dazed but focused look.
“Our job in the DC Office is to mobilize DC Residents to turn out Virginia Voters.”
Neighborly…or nosy? Check out this video to see how the massive mobilization effort functions – and what it is like to witness the Obama grassroots grow.
This week’s piece is about seven young students. Not all Americans, but all in America.
Stan’s parents are French. Benedict has lived in the States since ‘98. Eliza is half Swedish, half American and is Co-Editor of the school’s newspaper, the International Dateline.
Then there is Leena, who is a junior who has relatives in Lebanon – and Alex, the American, who calls himself the “least interesting kid in the school — culturally.” Yet somehow his presence is so rare it’s original.
Together, these kids make up the student body of the Washington International School (WIS). In a city with 170 Embassies and 10,000 core diplomats, the District transforms from a poor urban area to a Capitol city with international culture.
A few Saturday’s a year, the newspaper class meets to lay out the upcoming edition. They all write about different things – from the Hip Hop Appreciation Club to Google’s new browser – and offer their insight on DC gentrification and world conflicts. Some want to be journalists – others are there for fun. Something about it is so classic high school.
As for the America they live in, Benedict, the soft-spoken Brit, said, “I think (WIS) is the melting pot they claim America is.” A Global Clique
After the Show Info:
for·eignpol·i·cy: A set of goals outlining how the country will interact with other countries economically, politically, socially and military (Wikipedia).
The diplomatic policy of a nation in its interactions with other nations (Free Dictionary).
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
Senator McCain’s web site does not have a specific place for the complete policy of the U.S.’s interaction with other sovereign nations. For that reason, I pulled some of the positions that speak to the American presence economically, politically, socially and military abroad.
I started this series on GI Resistance a plastic blue bench at the Quantico brig. I sat across a Marine in a blue jump suit and wire rim glasses. I could tell he was also apprehensive to see me as I was him. But there we were, face-to-face, two sets of security guard eyes on us, with a clock counting down the minutes of visiting hours. Read the rest of this entry…
This last week in the race to the White House was unheard of. First, lawmakers scrammbled to save our economy from collapse, McCain asked to cancel the first Presidential Debate – and Bill O’Reilly flipped out not just on Dems but all “ideological kool aid drinkers.” Hmm. Could we are all be getting somewhere?
Both Senators urged Member of Congress to work together and compromise on an economic bail out package. The package is controversial on both sides, particularly to very conservative Republicans and very liberal Dems.
As a side note, I also found this press release from Senator Obama’s campaign. Along with the statement, he outlined five “principals” for John McCain to follow. I wonder if that actually happened….
Both campaign jets arrived in Oxford, Mississippi for the first of three Presidential Debates. This one focused on Foreign Policy – but in light of the looming financial crisis, 35 minutes was spent on the economy.
You can watch the different portions of the debate at CSPAN’s Debate Hub. I just discovered this resource. You can also follow Debate Hub on Twitter and YouTube for constant updates.
To see the individual responses on the following topics (from solving the crisis to lessons of Iraq), visit the Debate Hub homepage and select which one you like. You can also see the breakdown of how long each candidate spoke on each topic in relation to the rest of the debate.
And to check out Chris Cizzilla, Washington Post blogger (The Fix) wrap up the key points from the debate, visit his blog. I had tried to post a video here but the WaPo embed isn’t working. I’ll get on that. Until next time.
My trip to the RNC was eventful from start to finish. Just when I thought it was over — another story began.
I boarded Delta 4071 to Atlanta, on my way back covering the Convention for MTV. Next to me was Julie Zimmerman, a Program Advisor, at The Washington Center. I began to tell her about my job as a Citizen Journalist for the Street Team. I was reeling from adrenaline after all the live reports I broadcasted the night before – which I’m sure was illustrated by a permanent grin. By the time we touched down, she asked if I would speak to the fall class of interns at The Center.
“How many are we talking?”
“Nothing big. Just 100 or 200.”
I smiled but cringed inside. “Sure, I’ll do it.”
The day came yesterday, and with a few nerves but no doubt, I showed up with some notes and a flash drive. Before I was set to speak, I was pulled aside by a few of the organizers who each gave me varied interpretations as to what I could or should discuss. It was like a rushed cram session in college with one too many cooks in the kitchen. I took in what everyone had to say, walked myself to a corner and organized my key points in my head.
And just like that I was up.
I introduced myself and started asking no-brainer, conversational questions just to get a rise. In my last minute prep, I decided to just go with my favorite subjects: the rise of mobile tech, our generation’s involvement in the election and the unprecedented amount of user-generated content forcing traditional media to address us as an audience.
“Alright, who here has a cell phone? Any journalism majors? Who here has volunteered in the last year in DC or on their respective campus?”
And with a few smiles in the front row, I was in. I talked to them about our millennial movement – and how we are influencing a serious political realignment for the first time in 40 years. But I also told them there are big challenges ahead — like the fact that 8 in 10 young primary voters went to college. Meaning there is a deep civic divide between them and their peers who are not in line for a college education.
Finally, I answered a few great questions and received a polite round of applause. I breathed a sigh of relief, packed my purse and then went outside to hail a cab.
Like on the plane that morning,, I knew I had a similar grin and the same rush of adrenaline. I sat myself in the cab, looked out the window – and couldn’t help but wonder. Another test completed — and hopefully many more to go.
Sarah Palin Speech Highlights (3:01 for the exchange)
More than the cover story and the chant – I think the Olbermann/Matthews demotion brings to light a major challenge in modern journalism.
First, let me just say this. Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Bill O’Reilly are all the same to me. They pass personal opinions as fact. They reject the entrance of opposing views. And they act as if their answers are the only answers. From my perspective – it goes against what I was taught in J school: maintain allegiance to citizens and the larger public interest above all else. Is it really in the public interest to introduce bias into any form of journalism?
When I think of the big picture – I think that this feeds our nation’s appetite for convenience and grants viewers a way to feel like a responsible citizen. But on the flip side – it allows citizens to be complacent in how they reach their opinions.
Network Opinion diminishes – not just NBC – but a common interest in a credible journalism practice. Seasonedjournalists and industry leaders have pointed to blogs for hurting the health of the fourth estate — when it might be the exact opposite. While blogs open the conversation to people who have been shut out – cable news answered with talking heads -whose bias, vested interests are not always transparent.
In all fairness, I do not blame traditional media’s attempt to fill the opinion space. I see it as being provoked by unprecedented competition after the onset of the internet and their uninspiring response to 9/11. But the way I see it? New media and old face a challenge the industry has never before seen: how to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information in a seemingly polarized world - without telling them how to do it.
