Quinnipiac students cover the first presidential election they can vote in

HAMDEN, Conn. — Student journalists are hard at work in the media suite, covering the first presidential election that many of them are eligible to vote in. One of them - is Quinnipiac Chronicle arts and life editor Emily Disalvo.

“I think our role this year is more important than ever. This election is the first in which you widely see young people up in arms about it, there on social media, they're attending protests, they're talking to each other about it and for the most part, they have an opinion on it. A lot of times in election year pasts years young people have been largely disinterested.”

Racial injustice, political parties clashing on social media, climate change and a global pandemic are all weighing on the minds of Gen Z, many feel their futures are now at risk

Disalvo said, “We're talking to other kids on campus, we have a pulse on the issues.”

Dr. Lisa Burns, Professor of Media Studies, said, “For students i think a lot of where they're getting their news from is student media because they trust their friends. They also know it's going to be news about things they care about.”

Whether you're at the anchor desk, reporting live or writing for the university newspaper student journalists are reporting on the election in a way we've never seen done before.

Tik Tok was created recently and that was on a wave of making a huge social impact in everybody's lives. Student journalists are balancing socially-distant classes and spending time out in the community.

Student journalist, Kaye Paddyfoote said, “I think for this election especially, you have to kind of get out there and just hear what people have to say.”

Student journalist, Xavier Cullen, “We try to get firsthand experience from a lot of people, and I think that's missing in a lot of reporting, in that major reporting you don't see that human connection.”

As November 3rd nears, student journalists have social channels at their fingertips, ready to share the results on Facebook, Twitter and even Tik Tok.