Students in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications will offer extensive coverage of Tuesday’s election, with reporters focused in Andersen Hall and across Lincoln, Norfolk and Omaha.
The college’s Nebraska News Service, an online statewide wire service, will be a central hub for the coverage, with articles, photos and assets available for republication.
“Our mission is grounded in the ethical pursuit of truth to uphold our democracy,” said College of Journalism and Mass Communications Dean Shari Veil. “With more than 80 students dedicated to cover election night from multiple angles, we will provide subscribers to the Nebraska News Service with in-depth coverage in real time.”
The student-led 90.3 KRNU station and streaming broadcast Nebraska Nightly will also provide live shows between 8 and 10 p.m. as results trickle in. Nebraska Nightly is also preparing for cut-ins throughout the evening on the Nebraska Nightly YouTube channel.
The Nebraska News Service will have reporters and photographers at watch parties for some of the top races this cycle, including the governor’s race and the campaigns for Nebraska’s 1st and 2nd congressional districts. Reporters and photographers will be stationed for live coverage at the watch parties for Republicans Jim Pillen, Mike Flood and Don Bacon and Democrats Carol Blood, Patty Pansing Brooks and Tony Vargas.
Nebraska Nightly and Nebraska News Service are coordinating with these candidates and others for interviews on the night of the election. UNL political scientists Kevin Smith and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse also plan to be on hand for live analysis and perspectives.
Students have also been following the 3rd congressional district race and campaigns for the Nebraska Legislature, State Board of Education, University of Nebraska Board of Regents and local Lancaster County positions.
Additional student teams throughout the night will be analyzing social media trends, comparing this year’s election data to previous years and contributing to a live blog with content across the college and state.
When possible, the publications will update on races across the state and will use national projections to declare winners.
All articles and photographs will be available through Nebraska News Service’s wire service for republication with proper attribution to Nebraska News Service and its reporters.
“Election coverage this year from UNL will continue to demonstrate our ability to ‘Do From Day One’ through ethical, fair, transparent and accurate coverage,” said UNL senior and CoJMC Experience Lab political lead Zach Wendling. “We’ve been preparing for election night for months, and I’m proud of all the work we’ve done to be on the frontlines of history.”
Questions may be directed to UNL senior Zach Wendling, the political lead for CoJMC’s Experience Lab, or journalism professor Jill Martin.
