The eight students of videojournalism professor Steve McCarthy’s On the Road course recently traveled to the swing state of Pennsylvania from of Oct. 3 to Oct. 6 to report on the upcoming presidential election.
This semester’s version of the course, titled “Swing-state Election Coverage: Reporting from Pennsylvania,” gave students the opportunity to travel out-of-state and hear the opinions of residents who are planning to vote this November.
Izzy Conklin, senior film and television major. Peter Guziejewski | The Montclarion
Their journey consisted of visiting Pittsburgh, Butler, Mars and other west-end areas of the state.
Izzy Conklin, senior film and television major, serves as senior producer for the show the class ends up creating. She explained the impact of reporting on this election, especially outside of New Jersey.
“I think going out to Pennsylvania and reporting on the election is very important, just to hear even what people there are thinking about [in] this election, because they have a very different perspective on the election than we do in New Jersey,” Conklin said. “In New Jersey, we don’t really get people having rallies and having debates and all that. But Pennsylvania has been the center of this election.”
Izzy Conklin, senior film and television major. Peter Guziejewski | The Montclarion
The course is thoroughly organized, through booking interviews and doing extensive research before heading to their destination.
“The key is preparation,” McCarthy said. “Before we step out the door, we research the stories we are about to film and book interviews with people who are potential characters in the stories. We then hit the road and film the interviews and supporting footage we have planned. We also leave a little room in the schedule to find new characters and places to film.”
Conklin shared some of what she learned throughout the weekend, focusing on what she saw among community members.
“I think [with] the election, a lot of times people can see it as such a great divide within communities and within people,” Conklin said. “But, when we were actually in these small towns, [these] small communities, even when we were at the Trump rally, people weren’t hating one another. People, while having different political views and perspectives, were still very kind to one another.”
Students interviewing an attendee at the Donald Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Peter Guziejewski | The Montclarion
Sean Thrunk, also a senior film and television major, was a reporter throughout the trip. He believes having journalists reporting on this election will help even out the facts of how close or far the race will be.
“When Donald Trump in 2020 brought up the concept of election fraud, I think it stirred up a lot of different discourse, because if people are getting facts from a sitting president saying ‘No, we won, we have a huge lead, there’s no way we could lose,’ then people are going to implicitly believe that,” Thrunk said. “So, when we have those reports from real people in smaller news organizations that are more likely to be trusted, I think that is a way that we help with election integrity and help with our democracy.”
Voter registration tabling in Pennsylvania. Peter Guziejewski | The Montclarion
The students took another trip to the Philadelphia area from Oct. 11-13.
“We’re going to Philadelphia which is a very different city,” Conklin said. “It’s a lot more urban than I would say Pittsburgh is. So, I’m just interested to see if there is this great divide within the state, or [if] it’s just kind of person by person.”
McCarthy says students looking to take this course should not expect the traveling to be for vacation. Rather, to put their skills to work.
“Students should expect to experience what it’s like to be a working journalist,” McCarthy said. “These trips are not for sightseeing or vacation. There are long hours and students get to immerse themselves in the story, and the place they are reporting on.”
Professor Steve McCarthy helping a student with their video camera. Peter Guziejewski | The Montclarion
Thrunk shared the benefits of taking the On the Road course.
“You know, you’re working… but you’re also just able to really experience America, and that has been an invaluable experience that I really treasure a lot,” Thrunk said. “I’m really proud of us. I hope this inspires other people to go and to take [this course] in the future.”
