Students cover Kerry’s IU speech
When Secretary of State John Kerry arrived at Indiana University Thursday, a group of journalism students was ready to cover every word.
Students from four journalism classes — graduate-level intensive writing and reporting, and undergraduate news editing, narrative journalism and international reporting — collaborated to create a newsroom to cover Kerry’s visit to IU for the dedication of the new School of Global and International Studies.
By the time Kerry took the stage, students from The Media School blanketed the speech, created a Twitter handle and built a medium.com site to post live coverage. Professor of practice Kelley Benham French, who teaches two of the classes whose students participated, said students posted seven stories immediately after Kerry wrapped his talk.
When the news broke that Kerry planned to visit IU, professor of practice Elaine Monaghan said it was a chance to do some hands-on reporting. Monaghan said the professors of practice came up with the idea of creating a newsroom during the event where students reported, wrote and posted their coverage.
She, French and professor of practice Joe Coleman invited their students who were available midday Oct. 15 to join the newsroom, which was based in The Media School annex conference room.
More than half the student reported from the IU Auditorium, where Kerry was speaking. Other students worked in the conference room, coordinating coverage, editing and posting stories.
Sophomore Jack Evans said he doesn’t have much hard news experience and saw the Kerry news hub as a chance to get some great experience.
“That’s a cool thing to be able to have on my resume,” Evans said. “With journalism, it’s the hands on experience that really counts.”
Graduate student Cora Henry said she thought it was an exciting opportunity and should happen more often.
“It was nice to have such practical experience with professors with practical experience in the room to provide guidance,” Henry said.
The students’ work is online at: