Media Center’s Spin Room already buzzing
Published 4:44 pm Tuesday, October 4, 2016
- MARTIN L. CAHN | HERALD NBC News Lead Capitol Hill Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell talks to a campaign official before covering a short press conference in the Spin Room of Longwood University's Spin Room on Tuesday, several hours ahead of the Vice Presidential Debate.
More and more reporters, camera operators, producers, anchors and others connected with media outlets from across the country and the world began filling up Longwood University’s Media Center for Tuesday night’s Vice Presidential Debate in Farmville. One of the many people working in the center Tuesday afternoon was The Farmville Herald publisher, Steve Stewart.
MARTIN L. CAHN | HERALD
Steve Stewart, publisher of The Farmville Herald, works Tuesday afternoon at the newspaper’s spot in Longwood University’s Media Center for the Vice Presidential Debate.
Meanwhile, NBC News political correspondent and Lead Capitol Hill Reporter Kelly O’Donnell is one of the many network contributors in the Media Center’s Spin Room. That’s where campaign officials — and sometimes candidates themselves — tell the media their take on how things went after a debate.
O’Donnell said she got into Farmville on Monday night and began working almost immediately, doing many “stand-ups” — where she stands in front of a camera to report or comment on a particular aspect of the debate. O’Donnell and many other correspondents, and their camera operators, also formed a ring around Sen. Tim Kaine Senior Spokesperson and Communications Director Karen Finney for a small conference around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
MARTIN L. CAHN | HERALD
Two of about a dozen camera operators train their lenses at Sen. Tim Kaine’s Senior Spokesperson and Communications Director Karen Finney during a short press conference inside the Spin Room at Longwood University’s Media Center on Tuesday afternoon.
“We have a long day and our schedule doesn’t really allow us time to look around,” O’Donnell said of visiting Farmville.
Vladimir Duthiers, an anchor with CBS News’ live news streaming channel CBSN also said his and his team’s schedule hasn’t allowed time to site see.
“We only arrived last night and will head back tomorrow,” Duthiers said.
O’Donnell, Duthiers and others will continue to report from the Spin Room in the Media Center, the Longwood campus and around Farmville as the 9 p.m. debate gets nearer.
