Washington Comes to Denver: Part 2, Fieldwork

Today was a very exciting day because I got to go downtown to Denver Post headquarters and find out what all I'll be doing for them during the convention.

Let's start from the beginning.

I got to the building with the other people I'll be working with and I was in total awe. The building itself is just gorgeous. And we were all dressed up and everything and we just waltz into the lobby with all the confidence in the world. Yeah, right. We were really shakin' in our flats the whole time - on the inside, of course.

Someone started to make us sign in with security but then another woman came over and told us we didn't have to because "we're employees." That could have possibly been the coolest part. If I could even PICK the coolest part. So she takes us up to the sixth floor where we're in another lobby area with all of these awesome newspaper pictures on the wall and I'm sure we've established by now that I love pictures. I had to remind myself to breathe sometimes because I was gawking so much.

Then the guy we're working for came to get us and walked us through the news room a little bit (OMG! AMAZING). It looked just like newsrooms look in the movies - TVs and papers everywhere and phones ringing and reporters chewing on pencils and looking frazzled. It was SO cool. He took us to a small conference room with an INCREDIBLE view of the capitol building (which is only 100 yards away). We were in the conference room for the entertainment team for DNC coverage and there were papers and papers full of story ideas and what kind of famous people are expected to be at which parties and everything. Cough*Oprah*cough.

We found out that we'll be blogging (Meagan seems to attract blogging jobs...) for www.politicswest.com. It's still the Denver Post, but it's their separate DNC coverage stuff. I'll be blogging for a section called "Campus Campaign" which is essentially all about the youth vote and perspective on the campaign and election. For instance, Obama is gaining all these young supporters - but will they go through the hassle of registering and casting a vote for him? And do they align themselves with Obama simply because of his rock star status? Or because of his strong liberal stance? Is Obama producing future democrats? Or just Obama fans? We'll talk about that and a heck of a lot more right here. You'll find posts from me and my five other fellow interns.

We'll also get some real life reporting experience for actual stories, too. I don't know what kind of stories, but I'll do anything. All I really want is to have one teensy story in print in the newspaper. Online is cool. The internet killed the newspaper star, but to hold something in your hands and get the ink from the words in your story on your fingers... man. I would kill for that.

After our little orientation we got to go to a staff meeting. The entire staff was there and we were all introduced to them ... that was kind of intimidating, but cool. The editor-in-chief did a little "rah-rah, let's go get 'em" type of deal and then we all got pins that say "Denver Post Democratic National Convention 2008" on them. Traditionally you're supposed to trade pins for things at these conventions, but this one I'm keeping for sure :)