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‘An unbeatable opportunity’: Medill students cover RNC and DNC

Students get the chance to witness — and report on — political history-in-the-making
September 13, 2024 | By Teresa Nowakowski
A student takes photographs during the DNC as balloons fall from the ceiling of the United Center
This summer, one set of students had the chance to gain hands-on experience reporting on the RNC and DNC. Above, Kaycee Clark-Mellott, ’24 MSJ, takes photos at the DNC. Photo courtesy Kaycee Clark-Mellott

This summer, the news was dominated by the twists and turns of the 2024 presidential race, including both parties’ nominating conventions. One set of students at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications had the chance to gain hands-on experience reporting on the RNC and DNC through a master’s program class led by Kari Lydersen, an assistant professor at Medill and leader of the Medill Investigative Lab - Chicago.

Sylvie Kirsch, ’24 MSJ, immediately signed up for the class when she saw it listed. “I knew that this was an unbeatable opportunity,” she said.

In preparation for the convention, the students learned about the history and political significance of Milwaukee, Chicago and the conventions and listened to guest speakers from the worlds of politics and activism. They also spoke with editors from the local news outlets they would be covering the conventions for, which included the Wisconsin State Journal, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader and Native News Online.

Even simply being inside the conventions was an experience for the students. 

“The buzz from the delegates and guests within the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee and the United Center in Chicago was electric,” said class member Kaycee Clark-Mellott, ’24 MSJ.

In Milwaukee, Clark-Mellott’s fellow classmate Jonathan Hoffman, ’24 MSJ, saw delegates overwhelmed with emotion and jumping up and down. “It really felt like the RNC was kind of a party for all of them,” he said.

Each convention, he said, had its own kind of “fanfare,” whether it was Hulk Hogan ripping off his shirt to reveal another shirt reading “Trump-Vance” underneath or a performance by singer John Legend.

Sylvie Kirsch, ’24 MSJ, takes photos during the DNC. Photo courtesy Sylvie Kirsch

In addition to covering the latest convention news, including capturing reactions to former President Donald Trump’s picking JD Vance as a running mate, the students sought out unique story angles. At the RNC, Hoffman focused on how the convention would impact local businesses. He and Kirsch penned a story about local vendors at the RNC for the Wisconsin State Journal. Kirsch also wrote about the flashy outfits many delegates sported during the week. During the DNC, Hoffman wrote about how different people were coping with the stress of election season.

Being on the ground at the conventions was a “whirlwind,” Kirsch said, and the next exciting story was always just around the corner.

“A lot of my stories just came from overhearing conversations,” Kirsch said. “I would pass people, they would be talking about something interesting, and I'd literally stop and be like, ‘Hi, I'm a reporter, and I’m really curious to hear what you’re talking about, would you mind talking to me for a few minutes?’”

The students also overcame obstacles that appeared in their path: At the RNC, attendees were often “leery” of media, Clark-Mellott said, making it harder to report some stories. Meanwhile, the DNC was sometimes difficult to navigate, as reporters needed to travel between hotels, the United Center and McCormick Place.

Additionally, press areas at the DNC seemed more crowded, making access more difficult. Hoffman remembered having to wait in the basement of the United Center for access to the convention floor and watching some speeches on television in a cramped hallway when the media area filled up.
Kirsch and Clark-Mellott outside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee during the RNC. Photo courtesy Kaycee Clark-Mellott

It was a busy summer for politics, made even busier by unexpected events including an assassination attempt against former President Trump, as well as President Biden dropping out of the 2024 race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Students did an amazing job covering these huge events and finding fresh and unreported angles even as top media from all over the world were on the story,” Lydersen said. “I know they experienced the summer as citizens as well as reporters, describing feelings of anger, concern and hope, and I saw them strike a balance of letting those emotions inform their reporting in a constructive way.”

On top of getting to walk away with impressive clips, Hoffman and Kirsch also said the class and their reporting helped them think more deeply about the role of journalism. Hoffman said the experience increased his comfortability with on-the-street reporting and provided a great opportunity to hear from a range of perspectives.

“Learning about what people think, whether you believe in it or not, I think is important for a journalist,” Hoffman said.

In a time where misinformation can easily spread, he also remained cognizant of the importance of being fair to various viewpoints while also not promoting inaccuracies.

For Kirsch, the experience has made her eager to pursue more political reporting opportunities, something she hadn’t planned to do prior.

“It makes me just want to be more politically involved and informed, and it makes me realize the importance of political reporting,” she said. “A lot of these policies are so hard to understand. To have someone in the middle, a translator that can help you understand what's being said in simpler terms, is really what I see as the role of the journalist, and I hadn't seen it like that before.”

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