Truman Media staff photographer Abel Zewde got up-close and personal with candidate Hillary Clinton at her April 13th rally.
BRONX, NY – The television cameras were lined up: Fox News Channel, the Truman Media Program and CNN – all in a row across the media risers at presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s April 13th campaign rally. The Truman journalists were officially credentialed members of the press for the event, held inside the Dreiser community auditorium.
(l to r) Eliza Perez and Abel Zewde wait on the media risers for Hillary Clinton’s arrival.
“It was so cool to be right there next to CNN while they were doing live reports,” according Truman Media senior Daniel Adlam. Adlam acted as television reporter, and was supported by videographer Eliza Perez and still photographer Abel Zewde. Two students from the Truman Times newspaper also covered the event. Nia Crosdale and Lucia Perez interviewed several Co-Op City residents for their next print edition.
Upon hearing that Clinton would be holding a rally just steps away from Truman, the program reached out to the campaign office and received official press clearance to cover the event. Students had to load their equipment into the auditorium 4 hours ahead of the event so that the secret service could use explosive-detection dogs. The students themselves also had to go through a scanning process by the secret service.
Media senior Daniel Adlam interviews an attendee at the Hillary Clinton rally.
“I’ve been trying to push my students to understand that student journalists are still journalists and they can have just as much credibility as CNN, Fox and the rest of them. All they have to do is produce great reporting.” said Mr. David Roush, the media program instructor.
Zewde was mentored by a photographer from the Washington Post, who showed him where to move with his camera, and how to navigate “the pit” to get the best angles for photos of Mrs. Clinton.
Truman Times reporters Nia Crosdale and Lucia Perez interview an attendee at the Hillary Clinton Rally on April 13.
The Truman Times recently published their second edition. Also, the Media Program plans on growing its outside-of-school news coverage. Sophomore Moses Perez also recently had his video footage of a serious car fire in Co-Op city aired by News 12 the Bronx.