The How To's

The 2020 Presidential Race is on! Use these tips and tricks on covering Presidential Elections.

HOW TO COVER A CAUCUS, PRIMARY, Debate or Convention

Caucuses can be a bit hectic by nature as they require people to walk around, engage in discussion, and entice passionate people to share their opinions. Take a look at what student reporters found out during the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucus.

Primaries don’t all look the same, since they’re still determined by state preferences. Generally, they are more like the general election process, so people will have to wait in lines and cast a ballot.

Debates themselves can be messy, but spending hours talking about policy issues can be boring. As a journalist it is your job to dive into the details while making them interesting and relevant.

Via PBS NewsHour

PREPARE QUESTIONS

Coming prepared makes all the difference. Have some knowledge about pressing topics that you can ask voters:

Which issues are they most concerned about? If you have specific topics you want to cover, ie gun control or immigration, ask a more direct question.
Why did they choose to come to the {event}?
Which candidate are they supporting, and why?
Do they plan on speaking on behalf of a candidate?

NOTE: Because primaries use secret ballots, you might have to frame your questions differently, or accept that someone may not want to reveal who they’re casting their ballot for.

If you’ll be speaking directly to a prominent member of the media -- ie a news anchor -- ask them about projections.

Ask political analysts their predictions.
Are there any issues that may make a larger difference than others?

You can interview people outside if you think noise levels will be too high indoors. If you prefer, you can speak to voters indoors and ask some of the questions you’ve prepared.

Come up with a Plan be, you may not be able to film inside a polling station, but you can ask if you can film interviews or talk to people in line outside of the building.

Use VISUAL REPORTING

Include a reporter standup where you
- Introduce your location and what event you are covering.
- End the package and announce the official or unofficial results if you have them.
Getting good b-roll is important to creating a broadcast quality video. Take video and photos of voters arriving. You can also film the discussions of different attendees or candidates presenting their arguments and speeches, or changing positions around the room in the case of Democratic caucuses.
Typically the announcement of results happens later in the night, and with very close calls like the Democratic caucus in 2016, they can be announced as late as 1am. It might not be possible to get video of the announcement.

What do people need to know?

Identify your audience and what they need to know, or may be interested in. Students who aren’t of voting age may be curious about how the voting system works before they’re old enough to attend. Students who are of voting age may be curious about what attendees were discussing and/or thinking. Overall, be clear and direct about important information, and other angles that your audience will be curious to know.

A good example of key information is whether or not people have to be registered in a party before they can attend the event or can they register on site?

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: In this time of responsible social distancing, reporting can continue, but in ways that protect student journalists, sources and society at large.

Face to face conversations outside your immediate circle should be replaced with virtual interviews. For decades news organizations have done “remotes” in separate locations with separate cameras. Think of all the YouTube and social media videos of people talking through screens. SRL team members are currently working on a one pager on how to produce remote interviews with FaceTime, Skype, Zoom or other virtual communication platforms. Stay tuned.

IF YOU DECIDE TO INTERVIEW SOMEONE IN PERSON, FOLLOW ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND COMMUNICATE YOUR PLANS WITH THE ADULTS IN YOUR LIFE.

Social distancing outside your immediate circle requires:

Filming outdoors
Maintaining 6 feet of separation at all times
Not shaking hands with sources
Sanitizing shared cameras, lavalier microphones

Visit SPLC for more on best practices for covering the coronavirus pandemic.

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