On just their third day as interns at Spectrum News鈥� Washington, D.C., bureau, two 麻花影视 undergraduates found themselves outside the U.S. Capitol, ready to conduct their first interviews on the job. Surrounded by seasoned reporters jostling for position, juggling phones and microphones, Sean Tessler 鈥�25 and Megan Acker 鈥�26 squinted into the sun as members of Congress made their way down the Capitol steps.
Sean Tessler 鈥�25 reports from the U.S. Capitol steps during his Spectrum News internship in Washington, D.C.
鈥淲e were both so nervous,鈥� recalls Tessler, who will graduate in December with a degree in broadcast and digital journalism from the . 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all coming down, and suddenly you realize, 鈥極h my goodness, with the angles and the sun鈥攖hese people don鈥檛 look like their photos.鈥欌��
Tessler and Acker had received their assignment just two hours earlier and spent that time frantically memorizing names, faces and questions for their assigned representatives. Their supervisors assured them it was a low-pressure assignment鈥攊t was OK if they didn鈥檛 come back with anything from their first 鈥渨alk-off.鈥�
But with quick thinking, Tessler managed to secure an interview. Knowing one of the congressmen drove a motorcycle, he positioned himself near the bike and waited. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to Spectrum for pushing me to try for an interview,鈥� Tessler says. 鈥淣ot only was I able to rise to the occasion, but they weren鈥檛 going to fault me if I didn鈥檛鈥攈aving that environment of growth was really helpful.鈥�
From Classroom to Capitol Hill
Megan Acker 鈥�26 gains hands-on experience interviewing lawmakers as a production assistant for Spectrum News鈥� Washington, D.C., bureau.
Tessler and Acker are in the nation鈥檚 capital through the , which places students in internships at prominent media companies while they take courses in the evenings. As production assistants at Spectrum News, they conduct interviews, write voice-overs, shadow reporters and attend press conferences in Washington.
鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of like the right-hand man, helping out wherever we can,鈥� Tessler says. The duo has interviewed members of Congress, attended press gaggles with high-profile lawmakers and gained access to Media Row events in the Capitol.
Both students credit their Newhouse education with preparing them for Washington鈥檚 fast-paced environment. 鈥淏eing able to write quickly and coming to D.C. with interview experience is very helpful,鈥� Tessler says. 鈥淎 lot of other colleges don鈥檛 have you immediately practicing journalism when you鈥檙e in school.鈥�
For Acker, a dual major in broadcast and digital journalism and political science, the experience has helped clarify her career path. 鈥淚t has helped me realize what I do and don鈥檛 want to do,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 definitely have a better direction for my career now than I did before.鈥�
Democracy in Action
Matthew Davison G鈥�26 (right) captures voter perspectives at a Liverpool polling site for NCC News as part of Democracy in Action.
Back in Central New York, graduate students in the Broadcast and Digital Journalism program participated in , an Election Day reporting project now in its 16th year. Students reported from polling sites across Onondaga County, producing stories that focused not on races and results, but on the voters themselves.
鈥淎s a journalism student, Election Day feels like the Super Bowl,鈥� says Matthew Davison G鈥�26, who reported from a polling station in Liverpool. 鈥淭he news never stops and stories are unfolding all around. I鈥檝e always been drawn to election coverage because it gives you a window into what matters most to people.鈥�
Keleigh Arrington G鈥�26 edits her coverage of the Elbridge Town Council race on Election Day.
For Keleigh Arrington G鈥�26, who covered the Elbridge Town Council race, Democracy in Action represents journalism鈥檚 essential role in democracy. 鈥淒emocracy in Action is more than just a newsroom project because the work we do directly impacts how voters understand truth and accountability,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t means taking journalism beyond the classroom and using reporting to amplify voices that often go unheard.鈥�
Elliot Pototsky G鈥�26 approached the project as professional training. 鈥淚 am treating this like it鈥檚 a real job,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is my first time covering a live event.鈥�
The project brought together students from multiple Newhouse classes to produce multimedia stories using text, audio, video and still photography. Stories aired on , the Newhouse Communications Center鈥檚 digital platform.
Elliot Pototsky G鈥�26 (right) films Election Day coverage for NCC News, treating Democracy in Action as a professional newsroom assignment.
鈥淒emocracy in Action is an extension of what we learn in the classroom鈥攈ow to report accurately, quickly and with context,鈥� Davison explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a chance to put those skills into practice in a real-world setting.鈥�
Marisa Nu帽ez G鈥�26 edits a same-day news package for NCC News during the Democracy in Action project.
That same sense of hands-on learning resonated with Marisa Nu帽ez G鈥�26, who reported from a polling site in 麻花影视 and produced a same-day package for NCC News. 鈥淭hrough my coursework, I鈥檝e gained foundational skills in researching, interviewing, writing and producing stories on deadline,鈥� she says. 鈥淒emocracy in Action gives me the opportunity to apply those skills in the field, strengthen my ability to report on civic engagement and serve the community through accurate and responsible journalism.鈥�
Whether reporting from the steps of the U.S. Capitol or local polling places in Central New York, Newhouse students are learning that journalism is more than a profession鈥攊t鈥檚 a public service and a front-row seat to history in the making.
