CARBONDALE (SIU NEWS) — Six Southern Illinois University Carbondale journalism students will receive hands-on experience covering President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20.
The students will travel to Washington, D.C., for ceremonies marking the event and activities surrounding the inauguration. Among the stories that students look to report on are Illinoisans who are going to Washington to celebrate or to protest, security around the U.S. Capitol, and visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial that morning. Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day are both on Jan. 20.
Going to Washington for the inauguration is “the ultimate hands-on journalism lab experience,” said Alee Quick, interim faculty managing editor for the Daily Egyptian, the SIU Carbondale student-run campus newspaper.
Students will make their own way on the journey, including logistical planning, travel and packing warm layers of clothes and battery chargers as they “experience making history,” Quick said.
“News reporting is the first historical record, so they will get to learn about being on the front lines of writing history and all the responsibility that comes with that,” Quick said. “Inaugurations are always historical, but this one comes with some historic uniqueness. They’ll learn about incremental reporting, about breaking news, about being adaptable as events unfold. They’ll learn the joys — and sorrows — of filing from the road.”
Julia Rendleman, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Advertising, said students wanted to make the journey to Washington whether Trump or the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, won the November 2024 general election.
“I was impressed with their stick-to-itiveness,” said Rendleman, who was a journalism student at SIU Carbondale in 2008 when she covered then-President-elect Barack Obama’s election night victory speech from Grant Park in Chicago. “As journalists, we cover whatever is happening, regardless of party politics. The students know that, and they wanted to go ahead and cover the inauguration.”
Quick said students “expect to see some interesting threads of history weaving together on that day.”
“Some students have also proposed to look at fashion and clothing around the inauguration,” she said. “Trump’s supporters are known for flamboyant fashion at rallies, and we want to see how they dress up for this big, celebratory event.”
Before leaving for Washington, the students participated in exercises that involve covering news in large crowds and challenging news environments. Quick anticipates exciting coverage noting that “this crew of students represent so many talents.”
“We’ve got some star photographers, incredible reporters, talented writers and adept videographers,” she said. “This group can do anything. So, expect to see a great variety in the dispatches from D.C. — powerful photos, compelling writing and videos that’ll take you to the heart of it all.”
Students participating are:
- Enan Chediak, senior, art (photography), Herrin, Illinois.
- Will Elliott, freshman, radio, television, digital media and journalism (broadcasting), Downers Grove, Illinois.
- Lylee Gibbs, junior, journalism, Du Quoin, Illinois.
- Carly Gist – junior, journalism and social work, Evansville, Indiana.
- Ryan Grieser, senior, journalism, Fisher, Illinois.
- Dominique Martinez-Powell, senior, journalism (photojournalism) and psychology, Springfield, Illinois.
The students’ coverage will run in the Jan. 22 Daily Egyptian print edition along with online coverage at dailyegyptian.com on Inauguration Day. There will also be coverage on the newspaper’s Facebook and Instagram platforms.
Molly Parker-Stephens, an assistant professor in the program, credits Jan Thompson, director of the School of Journalism and Advertising, in project planning and support, noting that Thompson wants to see students engage in covering major national news events more often, and she secured accommodations for the trip more than a year ago.
“It pushes students out of their comfort zones, forces them to hustle and exposes them to the realities of political reporting,” Parker-Stephens said.
The live coverage will serve as a “jumping-off point” for Parker-Stephens’ public policy reporting class this semester and augment the “accountability work” of the Saluki Local Reporting Lab within the School of Journalism and Advertising, headed by Parker-Stephens and Rendleman.
“Most of the students attending are part of my class, and when they return, we’ll dive into covering Trump’s second term,” she said. “I’ll encourage them to approach their work with an accountability mindset — tracking the promises he makes as he’s sworn in. They’ll dig into key policy areas like immigration, education and social welfare, connecting with real people in the region to understand how these policies impact lives and what’s at stake. The goal is to cut through the rhetoric, determine what gets done — and what doesn’t — and explore who wins and who loses.”
