SYRACUSE N.Y. (NCC News) – Local elections on Nov. 7 are a week away. When Election Day hits, there is usually some chaos in the air. Everyone tries to find a minute in their busy day to go to the nearest polling place to cast their vote. However, unbeknown to the voters, the absolute chaos occurs where they’d least expect it: the news.
Elections usually bring about a change in the way things run at a news station. Everything must be efficient to provide viewers with the most recent updated information. How do news stations ensure this? One of Syracuse’s local stations, 9WSYR, prepares four to six weeks in advance.
Jim Campagna, News Director, says that they prepare everything from performance to what will show up on the viewer’s screen. “We often do rehearsals, prepare for the political races, and make the graphics,” Campagna said.
Once the polls close, every staff member in the control room is assigned a county and is in charge of updating each candidate’s score in real time as the election board updates them. As soon as they get updated with the most recent results, they input it into industry-standard software that allows it to broadcast on television.
Reporters who are on duty during election day also have additional tasks. Ryan Dean, a 9WSYR reporter, says the hours are long, and you have to educate yourself on all of the candidates. “It’s busy work. We get in at about 3:30 a.m.,” he said. “When it comes to elections, you must ensure you are doing your homework. If you have to adlib, you can do so and sound intelligent.”
Although viewers only see what the reporters are presenting them with, Dean and Campagna agree that there is more than meets the eye. The viewers must realize that the numbers, graphics, videography, and dialogue are all thought out before airing.
“The workers that you never get to see on camera play key roles. They truly are the heroes of the night,” Dean said. Although covering elections may be complex and stressful work, the only way 9WSYR gets through it is solidary in group effort.
For more information on local elections check out Onondaga’s County Board of Elections
