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In fact, with these strategies the student who was almost swept up in the City Hall rally that disintegrated into confrontations between police, protesters and downtown motorists was able to safely reconnect with her ride, went home and wrote and submitted her story before the curfew went into effect that night.
Faculty and students also tapped into sources and resources to get and stay in contact with community and other organizers. We learned about meetings and other activities, often as they were being planned. Students learned how to develop sources as they worked alongside local and national reporters and broadcasters.
Even though the end of classes and final exams loomed, journalism and production students and a few from other disciplines, began showing up early in the day to the newsroom to find out what we knew or to share information they had. They strategized on working coverage around their daily class schedules or completing final assignments and projects for those classes. Some also made us their last stop before heading home so they could get a jump on the plum stories for the next day.
Some students self-selected and identified themselves as our social media brigade, coming to the newsroom and taking on the responsibility of monitoring and posting to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Others cultivated rich daily stories and relevant sidebars with video and photos, including one scoop, to use an old-fashioned journalism term, which focused on the three black women – newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and recently elected State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby - who held in their hands the fates of the investigations of police department actions and the six officers involved in Gray’s arrest and death.
The events that began this spring in Baltimore continue to present challenges and opportunities for government, communities and fortunately, any students eager to take on their roles and add unique perspectives as professional observers, storytellers and interpreters of affairs and issues that can have significant impact on individual lives and American society as a whole.
Morgan students march to a police station at the edge of Morgan's campus to protest the death of Freddie Gray, a detainee who died while in police custody. (Photo courtesy of the MSU Spokesman)