Three TV-2 reporters to experience this week’s events from St. Paul

Senior broadcast journalism majors Aaron Martin and Kristen Traynor are attending the Republican National Convention this week in St. Paul, Minn.

Caitlin Sirse | Daily Kent Stater

Credit: DKS Editors

While preparing to travel to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., Kristen Traynor said this will be a great opportunity to “show what it’s like from a student’s perspective.”

Traynor and Aaron Martin, both senior broadcast journalism majors, are looking forward to covering the Republican National Convention. Martin, who is in charge of assignment and multimedia at Kent State’s broadcast channel TV-2, and Traynor, the assistant operations manager and programming director at TV-2, are working as runners for NBC during the convention.

Traynor said she’s “really excited” to observe how politics work.

“I love politics,” Traynor said with a huge smile on her face.

Martin echoed her words and said “mentally, it’s going to be tough.”

Covering the convention for NBC requires 12 hour shifts at $12/hour. NBC detailed the two would work for at least $100/day. As a result of their hours, it is going to be hard to keep up with their school work.

Martin said that his journalism professors are tolerant when it comes to their course work while they are at the convention, “but other professors…not so much,” Traynor said.

Aside from talking to professors, preparing for the trip has mainly consisted of purchasing new clothes and dry cleaning old suits. NBC requires staff to wear a blazer while covering the convention.

Getting there will require a 12 to 13 hour car ride. Once they arrive at the convention they will stay in a hotel with other college runners working for NBC.

At the convention, the students may or may not be able to send material back to KSU for the use of student media, Gary Hanson, associate professor of journalism, said.

The students will have to sign a contract that says they cannot use any information from NBC for any other publication. The contract is under debate since all information would be used for student media, Martin said.

Hanson expressed disappointment at not being able to go with the students because of his beat class, but said “it’s in really good hands.”

Traynor and Martin were given the opportunity to cover the convention after Hanson met with NBC representative Barbara Duffey in New York during the spring semester trip of the advertising producing course. Duffey mentioned to Hanson that she was looking for student runners to cover the convention.

The option was presented to the Reporting Public Affairs class, and three of the students responded: Traynor, Martin, and Antasha Durbin, broadcast journalism major. Durbin was in St. Paul last week.

Hanson pointed out that this is the first time KSU student media has ever been asked to work with a major broadcasting company. Not only are they excited about the collaboration, but just being able to attend and cover the convention is a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” Traynor said.

Contact CCI reporter Amy Szabo at [email protected].