Student reporting during the election
Student Experience
Into the pre-dawn hours after Election Day, students put classroom lessons to the test at the journalism lab in Weinstein Hall with up-to-the-minute local and global reports, ending with the news that Donald Trump was returning to the White House.
Many of those students are enrolled in “Covering Election Campaigns,” which focuses on Virginia races, the Richmond mayoral election, and the impact of national results on state residents. In the closing weeks of the class, students are reporting on what citizens should expect next.
“This was an invaluable experience that truly immersed them in the heart of democracy," said Tom Mullen, director of public affairs journalism, who created the class in 2016. Four years later, he expanded it to a partnership with the University of Northampton, and Richmond students began providing election news to a United Kingdom audience.
Student journalists reported on topics such as how first-time college voters made their choices and the drive for early voting, developed a guide that explained each candidate’s position on key issues, and covered campaign events, including a Chesterfield County rally featuring Lara Trump, the incoming president’s daughter-in-law.
They also delved into the role of journalism in a free society and the importance of objectivity and fact-checking.
“We talked a lot about the responsibility journalists have in keeping people informed,” said Mullen, who led students to leverage primary sources such as the Virginia Public Access Project for vote counts and the Federal Election Commission for financial data.
“It's not just about reporting the facts — it's about doing so with fairness and integrity.”
Student stories appeared on the National Community News Wire, which connects college journalism programs with professional outlets that can access their coverage, as well as in multimedia formats on three social platforms, Instagram, X, and TikTok.
On Election Day, the students — joined by classmates from Mullen’s Sophomore Scholars in Residence class and first-years from Betsy Mullen’s News Writing and Reporting course — provided twice-an-hour broadcast updates via YouTube on the UR Journalism channel and the UK Northampton channel. They also continued to file deadline reports for the Capital News Service and other outlets.
“All the pre-reporting, the articles and briefings on technology all came together,” said senior Jimmy James, of Hagerstown, Md., a double major in journalism and leadership studies. “I personally did a live interview with the University of Northampton on the peaceful transfer of power. It was interesting to hear the Northampton students’ perspective on some of the elements of U.S. elections that are so foreign to them.”
Dressed in khaki Gap pants and rumpled shirt for his YouTube segments, Nick Mossman, a junior studying journalism and political science, paid homage to NBC political journalist Steve Kornacki as he walked viewers through a digital election results map. “I worked with live assessments of paths to victory and what direction swing states were going on Election Night as the results came in,” said Mossman.
“I certainly didn’t consider myself a political person before this class,” said Grace Randolph, a junior journalism major from Suffolk, Va. “However, as prospective journalists, something we are always taught by professors is to be well-informed in all areas. This class certainly motivated me to make that a priority.”
During the semester, students leaned into their own experiences to pitch story ideas. Jenna Lapp grew up in the heart of Amish country. Her parents are now ex-Amish. Her experience growing up in this community prompted her to pursue a story on the Amish vote.
“I have access to sources in a very secluded and closed-off group of people,” said Lapp, a senior journalism major.
Before college, Gareth Woo, a junior journalism and global studies major from Malaysia, had never been to the United States, and his understanding of American politics came from social media. “It was eye-opening to see the real-life impact beyond what I had seen online and it taught me to approach these stories with empathy and a commitment to accuracy.”
For many students, this was their first time covering a major election — not to mention casting a presidential ballot.
“I am leaving this course with so much more experience and confidence,” said senior Reeve Boeckmann, a double major in journalism and rhetoric and communications studies.
As the night wore on and the results trickled in, the students’ dedication never wavered.
“They worked tirelessly, producing content for multiple platforms and ensuring their reporting was accurate and unbiased,” Mullen said. “I couldn't be prouder of what they accomplished.”