Putting on the Debate: Behind the Scenes of a Live Broadcast and Real-Time Political Analysis

Hosting the Rhode Island gubernatorial debate offers students experiential learning opportunities, like professional journalism training and civic engagement

By Jill Rodrigues 鈥05, Juan Siliezar and Julia Rubin
Candidates for governor debate at 香港六合彩开奖资料
The Rhode Island gubernatorial debate offered students experiential learning opportunities, from professional journalism training to civic engagement.

BRISTOL, R.I. 鈥 When the first gubernatorial debate in Rhode Island came to the Roger Williams University campus Thursday evening, 香港六合彩开奖资料 turned it into a real-world learning opportunity for our students about civic engagement and what goes on behind the scenes of putting on a live debate.

From pre-production to going live on-air, 10 journalism majors shadowed WPRI 12 news reporters, producers and camera crew to gain a firsthand look at live broadcast news production. Following the debate, analyzing the performance of the three candidates 鈥 Democrat incumbent Gina Raimondo, Republican Allan Fung, and Independent Joseph Trillo 鈥 and examining issues from the perspective of young voters.

As the event played out inside 香港六合彩开奖资料鈥檚 Global Heritage Hall, follow what the students experienced behind the scenes of the . 

Pre-Production

5:03 p.m.

Seated at a small table inside a closed-off conference room in GHH, three senior journalism majors 鈥 Natalie Almeida, Rosalita Capoldo and Tyger Allen 鈥 follow WPRI 12 reporters Tim White and Ted Nesi鈥檚 rapid-fire 鈥渕ock debate鈥 as they prep as moderators for the live show in a few hours. With their suit jackets hanging nearby, a selection of ties draped atop, Nesi assumes the role of a candidate while White practices shooting off questions, anticipating vague answers, and correcting misrepresented facts by exhaustively knowing the details of political issues.

5:08 p.m.

Inside the atrium, Angeli Tillett, a junior political science and journalism double major, and Britney Dixon, a junior journalism major, speak with WPRI Assistant Chief Engineer and Director of IT Michael Hyde about the planning that goes into an event like this. Tillet and Dixon listen as he tells the pair about all the logistics they planned, from sound to lighting, and how they're now putting it into action at a breakneck pace. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been planning since July,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of communication.鈥

5:09 p.m.

Students observe moderators prep for debate.
A red-shirted WPRI 12 production crew member enters the 鈥済reen room鈥 to inform the moderators that their mic will be live at all times, and 鈥渢o keep the paper-shuffling to a minimum.鈥 White turns to the students to explain: 鈥淣ick is one of our producers. He鈥檚 the person talking in our ears. I think his job is as stressful as ours.鈥

5:15 p.m.

Journalism major Kaylee Pugliese tries to relax before she poses a question to the three gubernatorial candidates, along with the night鈥檚 moderators, during the debate. 鈥淚鈥檓 a little nervous,鈥 Pugliese says, laughing with Jordan Phelan as they sit in the back of the GHH multimedia room.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to appreciate the moment afterwards,鈥 encourages Phelan, a senior journalism and economics double major and unaffiliated voter who would be participating in a Facebook live discussion with Eyewitness News Anchor Danielle North and five other 香港六合彩开奖资料 students after the debate.

Kaylee and Jordan laugh together

5:27 p.m.

White and Nesi evaluate their 鈥渂alance of questions鈥 for the candidates. Known for their debate-moderator style as 鈥渋nterrupters,鈥 White says, they deliberate whether to keep pressing for an answer versus when to move on to the next. 鈥淚 think anytime all three are being weaselly [meaning, vague, on an answer], you鈥檙e sad as a moderator, but you move on,鈥 Nesi says.

5:20 p.m.

In the main control room, housed inside a broadcast van parked behind GHH, Devin Ciuci, a senior journalism major, and Benjamin Crawley, a junior political science major, observe the production team play with the audio and look of the feed.

5:35 p.m.

The moderators take their seats in front of the stage for a 鈥渄ry run鈥 of the debate, 鈥渟o [the production crew] can set up camera shots and test the mics,鈥 White informs the students.

As they watch from the side, Rosalita Capoldo notes, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know they prepped beforehand like that. I learned that it鈥檚 important to know your stuff, to know the facts, before you ask the questions.鈥

Tyger Allen concurs: 鈥淵eah, the idea of doing your homework. I think they know all three candidates front and back. It鈥檚 very impressive.鈥

5:38 p.m.

As showtime approaches, Noah Ashe, a junior journalism major, Britney Dixon and Angeli Tillett play the part of the three candidates at the podium, as the WPRI crew tune the audio. The students are seeing first-hand how a live event goes on without a hitch.

Three images of students at podium
ABOVE LEFT: Noah Ashe, a junior journalism major, is fitted for a mic by WPRI鈥檚 Assistant Chief Engineer and Director of IT Michael Hyde. ABOVE RIGHT: Angeli Tillett, a junior political science major, smiles at the podium as she helps with sound testing. BOTTOM: Moderators Tim White and Ted Nesi take their seats as students stand in the place of candidates to sound test. 鈥淲hat do you want me to say?鈥 Ashe asks. 鈥淐ount to a million,鈥 White says. 鈥淥ne...two鈥hree鈥︹ Ashe gets to 60 when his mic鈥檚 audio is just right.

6:20 p.m.

Back in the 鈥済reen room鈥 with some time to spare before the live show, White opens a discussion with the students. 鈥淗ow do you pick your questions 鈥 what鈥檚 the process?鈥 asks Natalie Almeida.

鈥淕reat question!鈥 White says. He explains that he and Nesi choose topics from current political issues, as well as consult with local political organizations on what鈥檚 important to them. But he emphasizes that all questions are written by him and Nesi, fine-tuned with help from their editor.

6:22 p.m.

Image of danielle north with students

Inside the multimedia studio, the six students 鈥 David Hayes, Keith Jillette, Jordan Phelan, Kalasia Richer, Christopher Troccolo and Thomas Wallace 鈥 taking part in WPRI鈥檚 Facebook live discussion, listen as Danielle North walks them through what to expect. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to pretend that I鈥檓 actually doing this right now.鈥 She turns on her anchor voice: 鈥淲ho do you think won the debate? Jordan?鈥

6:38 p.m.

During the debate telecast, Ciuci and Crawley will remain inside the control room, watching the production crew and technical director stream a live broadcast. With just 20 minutes to go before the debate, the production team crew closes the van doors.

Debate Goes On-Air

7:03 p.m.

Inside GHH G01, the six political science students who would participate in the WPRI 12 Facebook live
post-debate analysis react with a lively discussion and note-taking to White鈥檚 first question directed to Raimondo about how she handled the launch of the Unified Health Infrastructure (UHIP) program.

7:32 p.m.

Gubernatorial%20Debate-Kaylee%20question.jpg
Pitching the candidates a curveball, Kaylee Pugliese rises from the front row, microphone in hand, and asks: 鈥淎s you can see, the Roger Williams University campus is right on the water鈥檚 edge, and we are about to launch a year-long series of events, titled 鈥極cean State/State of the Ocean: The Challenge of Sea-Level Rise Over the Coming Century.鈥 So, what is the main action you would take as governor to address sea-level rise and climate change? Governor, we鈥檒l start with you.鈥

7:54 p.m.

A moment of silence hushes the multimedia room as the student-panelists listen intently to the candidates鈥 closing statements and take final notes for their discussion. A few minutes later, they get the signal that they鈥檙e preparing to go live in five seconds.

Facebook Live Discussion

8:06 p.m.

When Danielle North asks the student panel whether authenticity matters to young voters, David Hayes, a member of College Democrats at 香港六合彩开奖资料, replies, 鈥淎uthenticity is a big factor among young voters. You鈥檙e not the face of a party, you鈥檙e not the face of government 鈥 you have to be the most representative of you up there to connect with people so they鈥檒l know how you鈥檒l represent them.鈥

8:11 p.m.

Jordan Phelan, an unaffiliated voter, adds that he was surprised none of the candidates talked about R.I.鈥檚 opioid crisis. For Kalasia Richer, a member of College Republicans at 香港六合彩开奖资料, an un-raised issue was the trend of college graduates moving out-of-state once they get an education here: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e soaking up the knowledge in the state, but then leaving and using their skills elsewhere. I would have liked to hear what the candidates have for a solution to that.鈥

Image block of students
ABOVE LEFT: Political Science major Keith Jillette 鈥19 answers a question from WPRI News Anchor Danielle North. ABOVE RIGHT: Political Science major Kalasia Richer 鈥20 answers a question. BOTTOM: WPRI鈥檚 student panel forum on Facebook live gets underway.

8:25 p.m.

North closes the discussion by asking what can be done to get young voters to the polls. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to spread the word to watch this debate,鈥 says Keith Jillette, a member of the College Democrats at 香港六合彩开奖资料. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to spread the word that young people have the responsibility, they have the power and the right to vote, and they should use it.鈥