Reporting fairly on deadlines

In the last week I’ve had my first two experiences with deadline pieces. On November 6, election day, I was assigned to cover a story on the polls. However, since there were already TNH reporters at Oyster River, I decided to find something fresh instead.

I walked around campus for a couple of hours, seeing what I could find involving the election. After initially seeing a student ferociously yelling at passing students to get out and vote while sporting a huge Obama sign, I figured there would be something interesting as far as public support for candidates on campus goes.

I started off talking to all the Obama supporters on Main street. I talked to at least five within 20 minutes. I needed to find Romney supporters.

I couldn’t find a single one. I even found 20 Harvard students who came to UNH to stump for Obama. The campus was littered with college democrats, but I couldn’t find one single college republican. 

I even went as far as harassing people in the MUB for the groups information. All they could give me was a general email.

So, I went home and did some Facebook stalking. I found the group’s page, and messaged the officers relentlessly. 

I only got one response. The student asked me what I wanted to know, and I responded telling him I just wanted to talk to him about what his organization did on election day in terms of involvement. (The student I messaged was the group’s president.) He never responded. 

So, I was forced to write an article that completely focused around democrats on campus, and students for Obama. I tried as hard as I could to make it seem objective and unbiased, tying into my article how the student dems just want people to vote, and how Romney supporters were given rides to the polls, but I wish I had more information.

I guess the article, in a way, reflected how the day went. I talked to many Obama supporters and volunteers who said that because of their overwhelming influence on campus, they swayed voters who were undecided, or even in favor of Romney, to vote for Obama. But part of me wonders if that’s right. 

I guess my biggest question, is when you’re reporting on a deadline, how do you possible get to all the sources you need to get to? How do you gather all the information, when 90% is how determined you are, but the other 10% is if a source will even speak with you? How do you write an article that is still fair?