First post-One week before departure to the RNC in Tampa Bay.

Well,

 

I’m currently planning on heading to Tampa Bay, Florida to cover the Republican National Convention, and then travel to Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention, and the then end up in New York for the one year Anniversary of Occupy Wall Street. I didn’t plan to start writing until Friday when I finally left town, but I’m prepping already. I figured I should explain the prep I’m doing to maybe add more clarity to my coverage plan.

Firstly, I plan on daily updates to this blog about where I’m at in my coverage of the conventions. I also plan on  daily streaming updates of my experiences, and also streaming the marches and events I attend. Check out. Ustream.tv/uneditedcamera for video updates.

 

These updates will be a daily morning update, where I explain my coverage of the day, and also answer any questions that are submitted via uneditedcamera@gmail.com, or are on this blog, or twitter: @uneditedcamera  I want to try to make this an interactive journalism experience. Where I am on the ground, but actively  providing methods for viewers to get their input used as I cover the conventions.

I’ll be honest, I don’t know exactly what that means. My first move will be to create a collaborative writing pad and tweet out and ask for folks to add links to any article they find talking about the RNC(it’s first) Hopefully we can read through them and create… a collaborative annotated bibliography?

For prep, I’m planning to meet with various communication professors and English professors to sort of nerd out on language and narrative. I really want to talk about what it means to provide this sort of coverage of an event, and think about it theoretically for a bit before really diving into it.

I’m expecting a challenge. I expect to create a massive about of content as I move through the conventions. I plan on exploring and learning as much as possible. I also expect exhaustion, and a touch of stress. It’s going to be a lot of work, but work I’m excited to do.

 

There’s also another element of worry. When I think of conventions in Florida I think of this film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2QfHaFitMs Which covers the FTAA protests where the Miami police brutally attacked protesters. I’m planning to cover this as a journalist, but a video camera, and a press badge has never stopped them from arresting me before. I also believe that as journalist, or street journalist, indy journalist, or whatever, my job is to stay and show what’s really happening.

So, we’ll see how it goes. Right now just planning to pack light: One backpack of clothes(plan on a lot of handwashing) One camel back (totally dumpstered and in perfect condition) A messenger bag with my stream gear: Ipod touch,hotspot, battery, chords, a laptop.(laptop will stay back in bus) I’ll also be wearing a gopro on my head.

I’ll probably pack my messenger bag with notebooks and wear it across my chest. I do this in case the police decide to fire projectiles. I’ll also be, at least for now, packing a bandanna and some apple cider vinegar. Right now, I don’t think I have a lot of protective gear and assume if anyone donates to my wepay come in (https://www.wepay.com/donations/uneditedcamera-cover-s-the-rnc-dnc-and-s17), I’ll use the donations to get some more protective gear.

Well tomorrow, look forward to the collaborative writing tools try. I’m gonna go celebrate my birthday old school.

 

All love,

Uneditedcamera

 

 

Posted by uneditedcamera on August 13, 2012

https://uneditedcamera.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/first-post-one-week-before-departure-to-the-rnc-in-tampa-bay/