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Goldenthal. “It’s important as a
citizen [to attend live events] but
also very important as a student
journalist.”
The Spoke:
“What about the
other person?”
Despite what co-adviser Susan
Gregory calls “a long tradition
of covering elections,” including
a 2008 interview with a young
Barack Obama, editors on this
student-driven publication had
no plans to cover the Trump
inauguration. Before three of
them jumped on a Greyhound
bus, that is.
As Jan. 20 neared, a student at
George Washington University
in Washington, D.C., offered
Goldenthal three tickets in
an exclusive section with
seating near the inaugural
dais. Goldenthal, opinions
editor Matthew Soderberg and
managing editor/web Caleigh
Sturgeon left on a Thursday,
stayed overnight in D.C. with
family and friends, then
regrouped Friday morning to
cover the story.
Unfortunately, by the time they
met, the security checkpoint at
their section had closed. “We
spent 45 minutes trying to get in,
going up and down Pennsylvania
Avenue, and we finally just gave
up,” said Goldenthal.
But the story was all around
them. “There was a lot of hope
in the crowd, and a lot of intense
energy from both protesters and
supporters,” said Soderberg, 18.
Spoke editors focused on
shooting photos and video
footage, and used their iPhones
to record audio, monitor social
media, keep in touch with
Gregory via Facebook and track
each other through texts.
A trending hashtag led them to
a fast-moving protest along the
parade route, where two cars had
been set on fire. ”We got there
after things had calmed down
a bit and the police had things
under control,” Goldenthal said.
“We were right up against a riot
line of police.”
There was inner turmoil, as well.
Before the election, Soderberg
and his staff had decided not to
endorse Clinton even though a
mock poll showed her well ahead.
But as Trump took the oath of
office, Soderberg struggled to
maintain his editorial cool. “I
was witnessing history and I was
focusing on being objective, but
at the same time I had a lot of
“GETTING INTO GOOD
TROUBLE: A STUDENT
JOURNALIST’S GUIDE TO
COVERING DISSENT”
Having found myself in the
middle of one-too-many
public demonstrations and
crowded eventsscrambling
to prepare myself and my
students for the unexpected,
I wrote this primer. It touches
briefly on the right to dissent
and offers tips and tools for
doing it, including how to
protect your cellphone, file
from the field and interact
with police officers.
And when you need to find
the nearest bathroom? Not to
worry—there’s an app for that.