As a journalism student at UNLV I was invited to attend and cover non-mainstream stories at the 2008 Democratic National Convention along with three classmates. As shown in the above image; in the middle are Ariel Gove and Sandra Hernandez, standing behind them – me, Denitsa Yotova, and Reid Geary.
I was able to gather a journal-type of material and images throughout our visit in Denver and experiment with new technology like Nokia’s N95 live stream video cellular phone.
The 2008 DNC stories and images are about the spirit of the crowd and the event itself as seen through the eyes of four students experimenting with new technology… and what may be the future of citizen journalism.
Our thoughts about the experience;
What do you feel was the most difficult part of the job?
Sandra Hernandez: “For me it was to come up with stories. Not that walking around with all that equipment was not hard… But making sure to come up with topics that wouldn’t be cliché or boring was the hardest part for me.”
Reid Geary: “The most difficult part was trying to prioritize what events we would broadcast from. There simply wasn’t enough time in the day to do all the things we wanted.”
Denitsa Yotova: “I would say trying to capture so much in so little time, but also the long days of carrying heavy equipment. It was a good exercise though”
What was the most memorable moment for you?
SH: “I had many. One of them was when we first walked inside the Pepsi Center and we saw all those seats. They seats were empty but the place was huge and you could see all the “behind the scenes” people going crazy getting everything done… we were part of that.”
RG: “Our interview with James Kotecki [of Politico.com]. We all thought he was just the nicest guy, and our interview with him was the most fun for me. We were disappointed to find out later that an audio malfunction didn’t record any sound, but it’s nice to watch now because only three people actually know how much fun it was.”
DY: “There were so many, but I would agree with Sandra that the first day was the most interesting one. We were all so proud to be on the convention floor along with so many media professionals.”
What did you learn?
SH: “That wearing a press pass can give you a lot of access and it is cool! just plain cool. But wearing that press pass comes to a high price. Journalists have to work really hard. This profession is not glamorous and we have a HUGE responsibility to be objective and bring the stories on time, but it is fun and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to experience such a huge event.”
RG: “Not to be worried about things going wrong or making mistakes. The best part about journalism is that there’s something new everyday, and no matter how bad things might turn out, there’s always a way to turn it around for a story.”
DY: “To stay calm, to test equipment several times before using it and to accept my mistakes, but be sure to correct them.”
What would you do differently at your next convention coverage?
SH: “This might sound silly, but I will make sure to bring comfortable shoes. I felt like I knew what I was after in the convention but at the same time I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing… next time, because I know what to expect I will plan more about the things I need to cover, so I can just go after that and not be overwhelmed.”
RG: “Invest in a backpack with more than one shoulder strap.”
DY: “Bring the most comfortable shoes I can find and try to talk to more media professionals. I am interested to see how they do their job and how they plan their coverage.”
What were you most impressed with?
SH: “The organization at the Pepsi Center. The Invesco Field was a sour experience because the organization of it was really bad. I was impressed to see all that it takes to put together an event like that. It was exciting to see the rehearsals, and the networks working on their “mini stages” to broadcast from the convention center.”
RG: “The police situation, at its best and worse. I noticed it while moving through groups of loud and emotionally charged people, seeing that the potential for a big brother style crackdown was just a rock throw away. But it never came, at least not for me. I found the local PD and fed agents to be polite, professional, and prepared to kill, which is kind of how I think they wanted to be seen. What would really impress me is the bill for the private security contractors that filled in the gaps.”
DY: “With everything apart from the poor organization and lines at the Invesco Field. Everything else was pretty amazingly put together.”
What were you disappointed with?
RG: “Returning from beautiful Denver and realizing the “current temperature is 102 degrees. Welcome home.”
DY: “That it was over too soon.”
Denitsa Yotova 