Regan Gallo knew that covering the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee would be a rare opportunity — and an important one for a political journalist.
“This was a really eye-opening experience because so many of the country’s biggest and well-known Republican leaders were all there. Being able to report on the event felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Gallo, who reported from the convention for Cronkite News — the capstone course in her master’s degree in mass communication.
This summer, the Cronkite School sent 10 students to cover the Democratic and Republican national conventions, including reporters from Cronkite News’ Phoenix and Washington, D.C. bureaus. Assistant Teaching Professor Allysa Adams led the students at both conventions.
“The energy and chaos of a political convention is a great environment to let student journalists experience daily reporting,” Adams said. “It gives them the confidence to know they can cover big events that have tremendous impact.”
Students produced 20 broadcast and digital stories across both conventions, providing in-depth coverage of Arizona’s delegation and reactions to policy proposals. The stories were distributed to 170 media outlets.
Gallo produced three broadcast stories interviewing Arizona residents and Republican leaders who attended the convention.
“Most challenging was being able to capture so much of what was happening in a one-minute, 30-second package,” she said. “Ensuring I kept the stories Arizona-focused helped me do that.”
Phineas Hogan, a journalism and mass communication major, prepared for the DNC in Chicago by tracking U.S. Supreme Court rulings, reviewing candidate footage and staying updated on political news. His preparation helped him write stories capturing Arizona Democrats’ enthusiasm for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign and highlighting their shift to a more moderate platform.
“Those are the stories I enjoy writing the most, the ones that people care about,” Hogan said. “The ones (where) people are really excited to share their opinions.”
While Gallo, now a Cronkite graduate, will harness her convention experience in her career, other students will parlay their convention exposure into election coverage: Now, Cronkite News—again ranked the No. 1 student newscast in the country—turns its sights with the rest of the nation to Nov. 5.