The Day Before...

The convention formally begins tomorrow but we now know it will be on a limited scale.  I have my credentials and am ready to go but it looks like our coverage for Session One, along with everyone else, will be minimal.  My reporter is coming in the early afternoon tomorrow so we will try to turn around a few elements for the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscast in Oregon.  Luckily we have time on our side, since it will be 7 p.m. CT when the first newscast goes on the air in Bend.  By then, the first day of the convention will have come to a close.  

Once we are clear for the evening newscasts, we are going to use that time to get some additional video and shoot elements we may need for the rest of the week.  We will also have to contribute to the 11 p.m. newscast but that should be straightforward as well.  What isn't straightforward is the impact the scaled back schedule will have on the Oregon delegation's plans.  We will have to wait till tomorrow.

A final note for tonight, we were told by one RNC official that the convention will not be extended.  They will condense certain days, like tomorrow, but they expect to be done on Thursday.  Experts on TV today say it is essential that both McCain and Palin give their speeches for the convention to wrap up properly this week.  But it isn't clear when or if that will happen tonight as Hurricane Gustav approaches landfall.  

Bring on DAY ONE!

St. Paul... Here I Come

My bag is packed and I have all I need to start covering the convention. But as the media get ready to cover the RNC, their attention is elsewhere. Hurricane Gustav is likely to have some effect on the convention's schedule but we won't know exactly what until tomorrow.

I am taking a red eye to Minneapolis-St. Paul tonight and will arrive in the early morning. By then we should have an idea of whether the convention will be postponed or if additional speakers, including the president, will not be coming to St. Paul. Many governors, including Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, have already decided to skip the RNC.

Here's hoping for the best case scenario in the Gulf Coast and a smooth convention in Minnesota.

Welcome!

Welcome to SC@RNC2008!

This has been an exciting year for political junkies and the summer was no exception.  As Sept. 8 approaches so does the final leg of the election.  But before the unofficial end of the season, we have one more major event: The 2008 Republican National Convention.  

As a recent college graduate on the job search, I could not be more excited for the week ahead. I finished up at the University of Southern California in May and returned home to Seattle.  After a relaxing summer, I am eager to get my hands wet again in political journalism.  I spent much of the spring covering the Democrats and the Obama campaign for my college news station.  It will be nice to report on the other party in a city I have never visited before.  That's enough about me for now but if you want to whole story, check out the post below.  

SC@RNC2008 hopes to document the exciting assignment of covering a political convention. Full disclosure: I was unable to go to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, otherwise there would have been an SC@DNC2008 as well.

My role next week will be to help a TV news reporter from Bend, Oregon who just finished covering the DNC in Denver.  His identity will be kept secret since he has no affiliation with this blog but you will see and hear about him throughout the convention.

So please visit early and often (as they do in another Midwest city) in the next several days for a side of the RNC you won't get anywhere else.

See you from St. Paul!

 

About Me

Before we get started here, feel free to read more about who I am and how I got to this point.  A "Welcome" post is coming up.

About the Blogger:

Shawn Chitnis (SC) is at the beginning of his career and has already covered a wide range of stories.  He has worked behind the scenes and in front of the camera as a producer, reporter, anchor, and executive producer.  Shawn has also worked in the newsroom and the field for major news organizations in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York.

After graduating in May with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Business Administration, he continued to work part-time as a desk assistant for ABC News in Los Angeles.

He started with the bureau in January 2008 while still in school.  Shawn produced and conducted interviews for pieces airing on the network’s broadcasts.  He

updated the network on what ABC affiliates in the western states were following and helped the bureau with research during his shift.

Shawn spent the last four years with Annenberg TV News (ATVN), a live nightly newscast based at the University of Southern California. In his senior year he was a reporter, anchor, and executive producer for ATVN.  As a reporter, he worked as a one-man-band: writing, shooting, and editing day-of-air pieces for ATVN’s 6 p.m. broadcast.  Shawn reported on stories throughout Los Angeles, from the May Day rallies in downtown to the wildfires across Southern California.  He also covered city politics, changes at L.A.X., improvements in medical technology, and the rise of Spanish media.  He also localized national stories important to the USC community like the downturn in the economy and the 2008 presidential campaign.

Shawn was one of four executive producers at ATVN.  His responsibilities included leading the morning editorial meetings outlining coverage plans for the day.  As an EP, he managed a newsroom staff of more than 200 people. Shawn also organized ATVN’s political coverage for daily broadcasts and the organization’s website.

Shawn was also an anchor for ATVN in the spring of 2008.  He co-anchored a live, 30-minute show covering local, national, and international news.  In that role, he often packaged the lead story for newscasts.

Before his senior year, Shawn worked as a desk assistant for ABC News in New York.  Although he was on the overnight shift, he worked during some of the summer’s biggest stories including the London car bomb plots and the Minnesota bridge collapse. 

Previously at ATVN, Shawn was a producer in the spring of 2007.  In that role, he selected, assigned, and wrote stories and teases for a 30-minute show.  He also pitched original story ideas and localized national and international stories.  As a producer, he often mobilized his staff and managed coverage of breaking news that was incorporated into his live, 6 p.m. newscast.  Before that he worked in the newsroom as a writer, shooter, and editor.  He also worked in the studio and began his ATVN career as an assignment editor in the fall of 2004.  

Shawn has interned at KIRO-TV (CBS) and KOMO-TV (ABC) in Seattle as well as at the west coast bureau for “Good Morning America” in L.A.  The highlight of that internship was walking on the red carpet and working in the one-on-one room for the Golden Globes.  

While at USC, Shawn kept busy as an Annenberg Ambassador, a USC Tour Guide, and the President of the USC Chapter of RTNDA.  He also worked with Trojan Vision as a host for “CU@USC” (a nightly interview show) and “Platforum” (a student debate show) as well as working on the station’s nightly crew.

Born and raised in the state of Washington, Shawn has always lived just north of Seattle.  

He ventured to Los Angeles for college after falling in love with USC (University for Shawn Chitnis). 

Shawn says he has wanted to work in TV news since elementary school.  He got his first fix working for his middle school and high school newscasts.  When it comes to following current events, Shawn is most passionate about politics and international affairs.  His other passions include television, music, history, and anything relating to USC and Seattle.