Busy in the night, and calm in the morning, is how Jared Aarons, a 45-year-old anchor/reporter at ABC 10News San Diego described Election Day.
Aarons covered his first election in 2000 and everyone since has felt like a “front-row seat to history.”
Local journalists across Southern California play an important role in covering important issues such as propositions and tax measures in the election.
Nearly half, 41%, of Americans still think local news is somewhat important, according to Pew Research.
These Americans think that their local news stations are doing a relatively good job reporting news. Also, journalists are dedicated to helping people have the information they need when they vote.
Melissa Mecija, who works alongside Aarons at ABC 10News San Diego, said she sees it as a public service to cover an election to inform citizens, particularly on local issues in undercovered areas. “National news organizations won’t cover local tax measures,” Mecija said, “but tax measures really affect people that live in your county.”
Mecija expressed how crucial local stations are in an election season as they are reporting on issues in neighborhoods, including propositions. Americans want to know if the proposition they voted for will be passed or not, she said, and how those measures “will affect people’s wallets.”
Aarons also believes the local stations are just as important since they possess their own races. He is concerned about the sales tax on the ballot San Diego citizens have to vote on.
Also according to Pew Research, Americans prefer to receive news locally online, instead of television or print.
Cher Calvin, a 50-year-old news anchor at KTLA, has covered four elections since living in Los Angeles.
As a local news anchor, it is important to rely on trusted sources on election day. KTLA ultimately depends on the associated press to make decisions on results. Also, if there are three or more sources saying the same thing, reporters read multiple versions to verify the information.
This ensures no misinformation or disinformation is spread to Americans. Data from the American Psychological Association shows that 82% of U.S. adults were worried that people may be basing their values and opinions on false or inaccurate information.
Calvin reflects on Election Day when one of her producers made a small mistake that could ruin her reputation.
The producer wrote in her script, “… and coming up, we’re going to have more on the fallout from the election.” She expressed concern about the word, “fallout.” Calvin decided to adlib since stations are supposed to be nonbiased.
In addition to making mistakes in the newsroom, journalists want to stay cautious. On Election Day, safety is of the utmost importance for journalists.
Even on a daily basis, a bodyguard is required to follow around a reporter to ensure they are safe.
In the ABC 10News San Diego station, Mecija and Aarons say the precautions in the newsroom have increased by encouraging all crews to “get up and leave” if they feel unsafe.
“More than one-quarter of Americans we polled said they often seen or heard a journalist being threatened, harassed or abused online,” as stated by the Asia Pacific Report.
This goes to show that Americans are noticing the scary side of being a journalist.
When continuing to talk to Calvin, advice she would give to young/first-time voters is, “exercise your right to vote.” Her face lit up and she reflected on her first time voting in 1992 when Bill Clinton was running.
