Hofstra journalism students reflect on DNC reporting experience

By Camryn Bowden

Editor’s note: The following is one of two student reports on Hofstra University’s coverage of the recent Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

To be a student journalist means taking risks in pursuit of learning the industry. Whether that be covering protests, attending news conferences and briefings, talking with people on the street or filing pieces from the field, being a journalist means working with diligence, organization and drive. 

            So, it’s unsurprising that traveling to Chicago, a city you’ve never been to, to cover one of the most important political events of this presidential election, while also only being a sophomore in college, teaches you many of the facets you need to become a journalist.

            From day one of touching down in the Windy City, Kenny Forman, the other WRHU-FM reporter, and I already faced the same time crunches that professional journalists must contend with daily. We both covered a major protest on the convention’s last day. We also spoke with delegates and attendees, who shared their thoughts on Kamala Harris’s rousing speech on the final night. 

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The LGBTQ+ community and Democratic politics

Reporting by Camryn Bowden/WRHU

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  For an average watcher, many would say this convention was unlike any other, and many journalists would agree, but from a very different perspective. To start, the excitement many saw on the television screen was real. I have never experienced an environment so enthusiastic and politically exhilarated. From each performance to each speaker, the crowd only became more roused, with the final speaker being Harris.

            As a whole, conventions offer insight into American political machinations. They show us the very important complex political process in a more bite-sized and easy-to-understand way. That’s why the embrace by the Democratic party to a more fun and lively national convention makes so much sense; Democrats want to attract more prospective voters to understand both their party, as well as how the country’s nomination process works as a whole. Welcoming musical performers such as John Legend and Stevie Wonder to rapper Lil Jon and actors like Mark Hamill, Mindy Kaling and Kenan Thompson was another way for the party to draw in voters.

As a journalist, I took a more critical approach to the convention’s proceedings. 

First, for the amount of glitz and glamour at this convention, far less organization was put into the administrative side of things, like security clearances. Going through the various security checkpoints by the last day was nightmarish, and one journalist, Semafor’s Max Tani, described the “logistical headaches, like long lines, bad internet connections, expensive price tags and limited access to the floor” as some of the biggest items that journalists were upset about.

Personally, I had no expectations about the actual convention. I believed it was going to be mayhem, and it certainly lived up to that. Overall, the wait times, spotty Wi-Fi and lack of access to the floor did not deter me in my excitement for what some would say was the opportunity of a lifetime as a college journalism student.

What I did not expect, however, was the lack of discussion in many of the major speeches when it came to certain issues on this year’s ballot.

For one, major discussion surrounding the ongoing war in Gaza lacked a Palestinian perspective, with the main programming missing a Palestinian speaker. This led to sit-in protests by uncommitted delegates, and further inflamed many among the growing majority of Americans who wish to see a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Additionally, there was a lack of any undocumented immigrants who spoke on the stage. Christian Paz of Vox News said night three of the DNC “confirmed just how dramatically the party has swung on immigration — to the right,” and that was excluding an entire day of programming. 

But what drew my eye as a journalist, a transgender journalist, was the lack of discussion surrounding transgender and non-binary life. Only two speakers, for the 10 plus hours of main programming, directly mentioned transgender people.

At a time when my basic human rights are put on the line daily, and are currently being debated in over 20 states in the form of some 650 anti-trans legislative bills, the expectation would be that the party that champions LGBTQ+ rights could find time to welcome a transgender speaker, or at least mention the community more than twice. Even in Nassau County, being a transgender woman means not being able to play sports. And time and again, one legislative effort against transgender people devolves into bathroom bans, youth gender-affirming care bans and more in states such as Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi. 

And not standing up for the rights of this over-targeted community and fighting back leads to a slippery slope.

In years past, Democratic National Conventions have welcomed transgender speakers like Sarah McBride, positioned to be the first transgender member of Congress, and Danica Roem, a Virginian and the first transgender state legislator.

This year’s convention welcomed no trans speaker, and no in-depth discussion of the community and the problems they face. Minta Sloan, a student at Hofstra University and secretary of the Lavender Grove on campus, said, “I feel like the biggest issues [in the LGBTQ+ community] are trans rights being attacked.”

So, it was particularly saddening to see a lack of conversation on the main stage surrounding trans rights, in a year when it is particularly necessary. 

I have to say that the convention did not completely exclude trans rights; it was more so on the main stage where those discussions did not arise. The LGBTQ+ caucus meeting at the McCormick Center put a sincere emphasis on transgender rights, and so it would be neglectful not to mention that. 

It’s a different story, however, when a caucus dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community understands the necessity in addressing trans rights, but the overall party lacks any discussion surrounding it.

Ultimately, this trip taught me a lot about myself, the Democratic Party and how the country’s political process works as a whole. What I do not understand, and what still leaves me confused, is the lack of discussion surrounding the trans community. It has been proven time and again that the fear tactics practiced by many Republican-led legislatures surrounding trans rights backfire in elections, and as a journalist, it baffles me that the Democratic party would not embrace policies and rhetoric surrounding support for the trans community, when it has proven to be good for elections.