With the Midterm Elections underway in the United States, Western Connecticut State University is prepared to report the outcomes live on election night.
Since 2011, Dr. JC Barone , a professor in the university’s Communications department, has taught the course “Live News and Election Coverage.” The class trains students on the foundations of news production, interviewing, and its connection to civics, government, and politics.
The students play a leading role in organizing both the studio and equipment to present their reports for the program. This is the sixteenth year of the broadcast in which students announce the latest information on local, state, and national elections for the midterm races on the evening of Nov. 4. In addition to election night, the student producers discuss a variety of other political topics including immigration, sports, race relations, privacy vs. technology, climate change, gun control, poverty, drugs, and abortion.
The students’ dedication over the years has resulted in the production receiving 10 awards from professional organizations within the communications industry. Examples include winning first-place honors in the division of Studio Multi-Camera Production and Radio Newscast at the national Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts, Telly Awards for Live Coverage, and a Communicator Award of Distinction from the International Academy of the Visual Arts.
Barone’s passion for teaching originates from his interest in film and sharing his knowledge encompassing this field in communications with others. His favorite part about teaching “Live News and Election Coverage” is the the team effort that goes into establishing four hours of unscripted live news content for election night.
“There’s nothing like live television,” Barone said. “It’s really exciting. We’re in our sixteenth year and we’ve won ten awards. So far we’re doing pretty good.”
When discussing his approach to managing a large production of 35 students, Barone emphasizes the training he has supplied to his students that has transformed them into leaders within their roles. Some students in his class have gained years of experience in the broadcast and have supported him by familiarizing newer students with the expectations of studio life.
“Their dedication to their craft and learning is really impressive,” Barone said.
Aidan Seifert is a Junior Psychology major who will participate in this year’s Election Connection as a race analyst.
“I stand in front of a green screen and I keep people informed on the numbers for the elections as they roll in,” Seifert said. “So updating people on the number of votes as they’re counted, announcing winners, [and] announcing some brief facts about each candidate.”
Though Seifert had no prior experience in this position, he said the education he received from Barone set him up for success. Seifert was motivated to join this class from the past relationships he’d kindled with students who were members of the production.
“Stepping into the class for a day, seeing how it operated, seeing how these people treated their work, was very inspiring to partake in it and make a contribution,” Seifert said. “It just felt like something that I would be missing out on my college experience if I didn’t partake in it.”
Seifert added that he values the inseparable bonds he has formed with his classmates who have consistently supported him within a high-stakes work environment. He regards all the members of the project as his friends; they spend most days together both inside and outside of class in the studio organizing for Election Night. Despite the immense commitment that accompanies this class, Seifert is successful both in his responsibilities to the Election Connection project and to his coursework as a full time student.
“I think if you’re committed to it; if you’re hungry for it, you’re just going to make it work,” he said. “I’m still able to get my classwork done and it is challenging to balance all of that, but it is so incredibly rewarding.”
Seifert said he is most excited to witness all of the long hours his classmates and he have invested into the program.
“Seeing how your friends excel in front of and behind the camera, seeing their hard work come to fruition is absolutely so exciting,” he said. “Especially celebrating afterwards with that huge weight off of everyone’s shoulders. It’s so rewarding.”
The live broadcast of Election Connection will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 8 p.m. to midnight. It will be televised live on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. It will also be broadcast on WXCI-91.7 FM and there will be a watch party with pizza inside the Westside Campus Center Ballroom on Nov. 3 from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the public are invited to attend this free gathering, which is co-sponsored by WCSU’s student-led newspaper, The Echo.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.