By Allie Litzinger
1-16-2025
This story originally appeared on CommunityWire.Miami

Five School of Communication graduate students are heading to the nation’s capital to report on Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States.

The students, all reporters with CommunityWire.Miami, will share live reports, photos and videos of the historic happenings beginning Friday, Jan. 17, through Tuesday, Jan. 22. The news service, formerly U/Miami News Service, is staffed by SoC graduate students who report on cities and communities neighboring the University of Miami. The students’ inauguration coverage will appear on the news service website as well as on South Florida public radio station website WLRN, which has a news partnership with the School of Communication.

The five-day coverage will capture the scenes and mood of the inauguration and the views of its participants, especially those from South Florida, said Tsitsi D. Wakhisi, managing editor of CommunityWire and a SoC journalism professor.

“Students have been preparing for the inauguration since the end of fall semester,” Wakhisi said. “They have been researching which events and issues they will cover while they are in Washington. Additionally, given the heightened security concerns in the nation, they recently received training from the security director of the International Women’s Media Foundation, an organization committed to helping all journalists better manage their safety while reporting.”

While in Washington, reporters also will share some of their first-hand impressions and experiences and explore other related and off-shoot events, including the “People’s March,”a demonstration to oppose Trump’s policies. The rally takes on Saturday, Jan. 18.

The reporters also are working on more in-depth stories, including a youth perspective on Donald Trump’s new term, the South Florida Jewish community’s take on Trump and Israel, and interviews with pro-Trump immigrants.

“I think we’re equipped to get some great coverage of the event and will undoubtedly be a great experience,” said Donald Randle, a documentary production graduate student from East Lansing, Michigan. “Definitely something to put in the portfolio.”

The reporting team also includes journalism graduate students Daniel Braz of Montreal; Noah Gulley of Las Vegas; Allie Litzinger of San Diego; and Dara Karadsheh of Atlanta.

A group of graduate students previously independently covered the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009, but this year students received some financial help with funding from the Evelyn Y. Davis Graduate Scholarship in Journalism. The fund contributed $1,000 toward each student’s expenses, said Sallie Hughes, chair of the Journalism and Media Management Department.

Collaborating with Wakhisi in shaping the inauguration coverage are WLRN Vice President for News Sergio Bustos and television producer and SoC alumnus Javier Morgado.

Morgado, who graduated in 1998 from the U, is an Emmy-award winning executive producer formerly with CNN, a former supervising producer with NBC’s “Today“ show and has covered previous inaugurations. Bustos has four decades of journalism experience, including stints at the Associated Press, the Miami Herald, Politico and as the Washington correspondent for The Arizona Republic. The two seasoned journalists met with students and helped them with logistical information reporting tips and coverage. They also will help with the editing process.

Bustos, an adjunct SoC journalism professor, said he is eager to help the students be “the first recorders of history.”

“This is a historical event,” Bustos said. “It’s really a great opportunity for everyone to learn.”

Gulley, who is working with Randle on the youth perspective story, said he is looking forward to the trip.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to travel to our nation’s capital, increase my journalistic portfolio and experience, all while witnessing history,” Gulley said.