Woodruff On Campus

Judy Woodruff interviewing state officials about health/education now in health sciences building.
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Something is a mis- with CNN

Misinformation? Misunderstood? Mismanaged?

Something is happening with CNN on the UNLV campus. Not only with the tour, but something more.

Students of UNLV were called upon last week to help with the debate efforts. Whether it was crowd control, holding signs, spreading the word, or just dealing with the parking nightmare. Up to this point, however, CNN has been less than thankful for our help.

Yesterday afternoon an e-mail went out announcing a behind-the-scenes tour of the debate to take place for Greenspun Journalism students at 5 p.m. After showing up at 4:45, I walked over to the designated meeting spot with Dr. Ardyth Sohn, director of the Greenspun school.

No one was there to greet us at 5 . A man from CNN security was nice enough to let us up to the debate hall so that we could get some answers about where we should be. After speaking with a very kind producer in the hall itself, we went back downstairs and after wandering around a little more we finally got some answers. It was 5:20 and we were told our guide would be with us in just a few minutes.

At about 5:30 our two guides came out. They introduced themselves as CNN publicists and said it was their pleasure to show us some of the key media areas of the debate.

Here is where the mis- really starts.

We quickly walked across the breezeway to the Thomas & Mack boardroom, which will be the “spin room” on Thursday for the debate. We were told we couldn’t go in because they are setting up. Understandable.

Next we walk to the front of the Cox Pavilion area and told that this is where “standups” will be and here is where the general public will be entering. General enough.

Next we were led around the back of the building, near a small set of steel doors and we’re told that this is were the press filling room will be, but we cannot go in there either because there are rehearsals going on. What rehearsals are in a press filling room?

And that ended the tour.

I know we were all disappointed, and maybe it wasn’t their fault that we couldn’t see the debate hall (even though CNN security let me up earlier) but if that is all you could show us why bring us there in the first place?

The real story came later that evening. As a volunteer, I was required to attend one of two training sessions for the debate. The first was held last night at 9 p.m.

At 8:55 the room on the second floor of UNLV’s student union was opened and I and about 40 others came in and sat down.

Two women from UNLV’s public affairs department introduced themselves and told us that the CNN rep would be there soon. While we were waiting, they handed out UNLV “Presidential Debate” logo polos for us. We later found out that most of us cannot even wear the shirts to the event because of they are white, and white conflicts with CNN’s rules on volunteer attire.

After 45 minutes, the CNN rep had still not shown up, and the UNLV staffers told us they would not make us wait any longer and let us go.

This was a required meeting for students to attend. How disappointing that CNN did not show up to tell us how to help them! We are not all students that have an hour of our time to throw away. Some called in to work, some had to arrange babysitters, and some blew off studying for our impending finals to be here and to help. We are thanked for this by having two separate meetings turn out to be complete wastes of our time.

Students may or may not show up to the polls this year, I think they will, but to take such a highly involved group of students and hang them out to dry is really a shame.

I cannot blame CNN as a whole, but the individuals we have dealt with have either had their hands tied, turned us down, turned us away or not kept the promises they made.

So I leave it to you.

Misunderstood? Mismanaged? Misinformed?

Or simply misguided in thinking that we as UNLV students don’t matter?

CNN Express Yourself Tour

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Originally uploaded by bewwilson

Photograph By Blake Wilson

The CNN Express Yourself Tour set out in in 2006 and will be traveling across the globe. Its aim, to promote the political debate and provide avenues for voters of all ages to express themselves.

The tour hit many other states before Nevada including Texas, Colorado, Washington and New York to name a few, and will continue its endeavors across the globe until November 2008. Before leaving Nevada the tour did not neglect to invade the UNLV Campus.

Currently, they are located on the west side of campus in the field in front of the Lied Library. After the members of the tour set up at 11 A.M., students immediately expressed their views on a graffiti board, which the tour provides, and will continue to be able to do so until 7 P.M. The graffiti board has spurred many thoughtful and provocative words from voters.

From state to state one may think a Republican or Democratic state would express uniform ideas according to each state’s partisan background. However, voters have shown quite the opposite. One of the inscriptions upon the graffiti board at UNLV stated, “impeach Bush,” while another directly below it stated “I love Bush.” “This makes the reelection quite interesting, it really isn’t clear who will win the presidential election due to the diverse political views among voters,” said tour manager Shaun Hautly.

The CNN Express Yourself Tour will be on campus tomorrow during the same time frame from 11 A.M. to 7 P.M. so go over and say high, and excercise your right to freedom of expression.

CNN Tells UNLV Journalism School C-NO

By Aaron Murphy

When UNLV’s journalism students were told they were going to be allowed to tour CNN’s setup for the presidential debates being held on our campus, there were a lot of very high hopes.

Unfortunately most of those hopes were dashed, as the students were treated to a tour of a hallway, a dark staircase and a closed door. This closed door would prove more than symbolic for the UNLV Greenspun School of Journalism students.

When asked for an explanation for the “brief” nature of the tour by members of the faculty, Bridget Leininger, a spokesperson for CNN, said, “We are very busy getting ready for the debate. Everyone upstairs was trying to get us to get people out.”

The “upstairs” she was referring to is where all of the action would have been taking place, with anchors and reporters preparing to go on air and collecting information for their stories.

(These are photos taken of what was going on upstairs in the Thomas & Mack Center– one of many areas CNN declared off-limits to UNLV journalism students. Downstairs, a dozen or so journalism students and faculty were being stonewalled.)

Making room for the little guy has always been a problem, both in politics and in the media, and Tuesday night was a perfect example of the flaws in these systems. While one of us students may potentially be employed by this company, we were not considered of enough importance to even get a glimpse of what may very well be our future.

As is so often the case with governments, bureaucracies, or corporations, it would seem that those who have the least access and get the least respect, are the same individuals with the most drive, passion and skill for the work.

One can only hope that at some point the individuals who are making the decisions on access will be the same people with the ability and desire to identify those who truly are, and will be able to reward them for their enthusiasm.

These individuals will be the students.

These individuals will be us.

Not All of the Candidates Were Invited

The national media sometimes forgets to let the little guy in. That’s what happened with Sen. Mike Gravel.

Gravel is a senator from Alaska who is running for president. He wasn’t given a spot in the debates because he hasn’t raised the set amount of money that CNN said he must have to participate, supposedly $1 million.

Gravel will be holding his own debate party at the Paris Hotel at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. He will discuss issues with his followers that the other Democratic candidates are asked at the actual debate.

If you are interested in attending this event, ask at the Paris’ front desk what room Gravel is in. Gravel supporters might accept you as their own.

CNN: A Short, Unhappy Tour

CNN was riding its high horse tonight as two representatives took UNLV journalism students on a tour of the Democratic Presidential Debate set up at our Cox Pavilion at the Thomas & Mack Stadium on our campus.

The tour turned out to be disappointing, not only for students, but also for faculty members.

One aspect of the so-called “tour” that made the lack of entrance into the actual debate hall even worse, was the pompous attitudes of the two CNN spokeswomen.

After quickly viewing the spin room from the doorway and walking past the location for television “standup” opportunities, the tour gathered by the stairs leading below ground to what will be the national media filing room.

The tour ended here, but the discussion did not.

Ardyth Sohn, director of the Greenspun College of Journalism and Media Studies, asked repeatedly that the students be taken back inside and given a glimpse of the hall where the debate will take place Thursday.

Bridget Leiinger, a CNN spokeswoman didn’t budge, saying such a tour would “interrupt a rehearsal.”

Sohn urged her to reconsider on behalf of the students, gallantly adding “it wouldn’t be wise to upset the students.”

“We also don’t want to piss-off the New York Times,” retorted Carolyn Disbrow, a CNN spokeswoman. She later said her remarks, made in front of the crowd of more than a dozen students and faculty journalists, were not for the record.

Several students remained behind, including two broadcast journalism students who were intently trying to gain access to debate coverage. The CNN spokeswoman seemed annoyed.

“No one is allowed to tape the debate, other than CNN,” Disbrow said. “Even though it’s a UNLV building, it’s a CNN workspace.”

Discussions about the Secret Service, the security sweep, the undisclosed entrance of the candidates and credentials for access, brought the conversation to a close.

So the fact that CNN is on UNLV’s campus doesn’t seem to matter.

How about the fact that UNLV students are tomorrow’s generation. The future president may reside at UNLV.

Is that credential enough?

Probably not for CNN.

Heightened Security on Campus: Secret Service, UNLV Police and Security Personnel Ensure Security.

Community Relations sent out a notice elaborating on what we reported earlier about heightened security during this week’s debate.

Security will be especially intensified when candidates are entering and leaving campus. UNLV Police Services, U.S. Secret Service, and other security personnel will be monitoring activities. The Cox Pavilion will be under heavy surveillance since many of the activities will take place in and around that area.

During the debate, some of the areas near Cox Pavilion will have restricted access. A UNLV ID and driver’s license provide the solution. They will grant the UNLV community access to these areas. Be sure to have two forms of ID, a driver’s license and UNLV ID, as security may ask to see both. Having an ID will verify your legitimacy on campus, and grant student and faculty normal access.

Campus security officials said they are taking every measure to ensure safety around campus.

Class Canceled to Avoid Parking Nightmare

I have a philosophy class on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 p.m. until 3:45 p.m. My professor was telling us about the Democratic debate coming to our campus on Thursday at 7 p.m. I thought he was going to make it mandatory that we attend, as many teachers have. Instead, he told us there would be no class on Thursday, simply because, “parking will be a nightmare.”

You can imagine how crazy the campus is expected to be when professors start canceling their classes to avoid the chaos.

A piece of advice: Get to campus early, find a parking spot and under no circumstances should you move your car until the candidates and press are long gone.