The event will run from noon Tuesday, Nov. 5, to noon Wednesday, Nov. 6, beginning and ending with coverage from Marshall University and including contributions from journalism students nationwide. The effort already has more than 70 universities and other organizations on board, including students from The Ohio State University, Ohio University, Syracuse University, Georgetown University, the University of Texas, New York University, Temple and others from the West Coast.
“At Marshall, we are going to be the heart of all this,” Quicke said. “We’re master control. We’re going to have potentially hundreds of pieces of content, packages from students from across the country. It’s a moment for Marshall. … Ultimately, I want this initiative to be a real-world launching pad for our students. This could be something that really launches their careers or gets them some notice and some opportunity in the industry.”
The coverage will focus on what students think about the presidential races and issues surrounding it.
“If you want to see what students think about the election of this country, watch Student News Live and you’ll get an entirely different generational perspective on the election,” Quicke said.
Marshall journalism student Sarah Davis will be overseeing the digital media aspect of Student News Live, along with co-worker, classmate and friend Evan Green.
“Evan and I hold leadership roles within The Parthenon, which gives us the relevant experience to manage the digital portion of the day,” she said. “As participating schools send in news stories and other website-based content, our team will edit and publish throughout the day. Evan and I will also be at the anchor desk for a portion of the live broadcast.
“To say I am excited for this project is an understatement. I have always heard about the classic ‘election coverage day’ in newsrooms, so I am happy to finally partake in that tradition. Even though the work will be divided into multiple shifts, I plan on working the entire 24 hours. My friends may think I am crazy, but I see it as an exciting opportunity.”
Green said he’s thrilled to take on this challenge with the rest of the journalism school.
“I think it’s a great way to push our program in a new direction and give students the opportunity to learn new skills and add to their portfolios,” he said. “As a senior, I feel like this is going to be one of the experiences that I carry with me beyond undergrad and into my career. Learning from all the other schools and programs and building my own skills as a journalist is something I’m really looking forward to.
“Student News Live is an incredibly ambitious project, and I’m proud to be working with everyone on our team to bring it to life in just a few weeks.”
Along with students running the show, the tremendous undertaking will also require support from J-School alumni and others who can provide everything from food to copyediting support to mentorship for students throughout the 24 hours, Quicke said. Volunteers can sign up here.
The initiative has support from national news organizations such as iHeart Radio, NBCU Academy, PBS Newshour Student Reporting Labs, the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists and others.
“It’s a first for Marshall and for the country and it’s going to give our Marshall journalism students an incredible opportunity to reach an audience they never normally would, and to communicate about certainly the biggest political event and one of the biggest news events of the year in this country,” he said. “It’s a really exciting opportunity that’s going to require all of us to come together to make it happen in the best possible way.”
For more information about Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, visit https://www.marshall.edu/jmc/