Bernie shook his finger and raised his voice for the “disenfranchised,” Hillary nodded her head and promised help for steelworkers and Trump adorned a miner’s helmet and pretended to dig for coal.
In the last month, my colleagues and I at The Daily Independent covered campaign stops in the Tri-State area for the three candidates still eyeing the White House.
Our goal was to paint the scene and report the details that matter most to our readers. But first, we had to get past Secret Service.
Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders’ camp notified media outlets that their commander was headed for Huntington a few days before he rallied 6,000. My colleague, political reporter Lana Bellamy, planned to write while I shot photographs.
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (D) ignites a crowd in Huntington with a speech centered on economic inequality and drug problems. Photo by Andrew Adkins/The Daily Independent.
Entry into the stadium was as invasive as one would expect, for obvious reason. Media members were questioned on identity and scanned with metal detectors, airport style. The eyes of Secret Servicemen and their German shepherds stared holes through camera and laptop bags.
After the security screening, I learned and am now certain that media relations staffers for presidential candidates are a different breed. They’re simultaneously accommodating and forceful, ready to direct or confront journalists at all times.
Sanders’ media handler for the Huntington rally was especially even-keeled.
She huddled the photographers together like a basketball coach and told us how to avoid ejection from the arena with an escort by Secret Service. “You’ve got free range on the floor, but if you try and get past the rope, you’re out of here,” she said.
I bounced around the crowd on the floor while the fiery senator from Vermont stumped for an hour and a half. I kept my finger on the shutter button and listened to Sanders passively. My focus was on hearing the call from the media relations director leading groups of photographers behind the tape to the main stage.
I was able to stand on the platform after Sanders closed his speech and greeted screaming millennials in the front row. The media relations director barked at me and other photographers when we tried to leave the stage before Sanders’ exit, with Secret Servicemen right behind her.
A few days later, a candidate who’d recently enraged a bulk of the Appalachian coal industry with a sound bite announced she was headed for coal country. Hillary Clinton’s first stop on her redemption tour was Ashland, where “coal meets iron.”
Lana and I were inside Alma’s Italian restaurant for Clinton’s sit-down with local steelworkers. Security was just as tight as Bernie's, and space was much tighter. I snapped a few photos while Clinton made her rounds in the small restaurant.
Media were roped off again, which made the discussion feel more like one I was watching through a screen. Then it hit me — why not let everyone else watch Clinton speak through a screen?
Live streaming the Clinton appearance through Facebook with my phone was (I hope) beneficial for our readers, but after about 45 minutes of Q and As, my arm almost fell off. I watched comments pour in from thousands of viewers and figured their chance to watch was more important than my arm.
Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton talks to local Girl Scouts before buying a box of cookies. Photo by Andrew Adkins | The Daily Independent
The media handlers for Clinton, like Sanders, were a major asset for the journalists.
They notified us privately that Clinton would walk to the local Girl Scouts’ headquarters, and Secret Service herded us down Greenup Avenue. I waited for Clinton with the other photographers inside, and not one of us could resist the sales pitches made by the girl scouts.
I’m still kicking myself for leaving those peanut butter cookies inside.
On to Donald Trump a week later. The presumptive Republican presidential candidate had just locked up the nomination a day before, and as he told the crowd, didn’t even need to campaign in Charleston, West Virginia.
Donald Trump ignites the crowd by placing a coal miner's helmet on his head. The Republican frontrunner received the endorsement of the West Virginia Coal Association. Photo by Andrew Adkins
But he did, so Daily Independent reporter Adam Black and I drove to Charleston. Trump secured Secret Service protection several months ago, which meant the entry process for media continued.
Finding a path into the Trump rally was much more difficult, and weird. A VIP line extending out from the base of the building, into the pouring rain, blocked the route for media outlets. We pushed our way through the line to receive our credentials.
Finding a seat at the press table was another obstacle.
I flashed my press pass to the security at the base of the bleachers. But I still haven’t found the media relations director for the Trump rally. The seats along press row didn’t include a WiFi router, which meant I’d have to file the story from the road on the drive home.
There were no handlers to direct photographers down to the stage or even a path to get there.
I wondered why nearly every photograph or roll of video from Trump’s rallies looked like it was shot from a football field away. I guess that’s the way the “Trump Train” rolls.
And it's still rolling. Barring a shocking turn, Trump will square off against Clinton in one of the most pivotal presidential elections of all time.
Covering presidential campaigns — especially in 2016 — is a dream in the journalism world.
I’m probably more grateful for the opportunity than most, because I was able to report on the campaigns while serving readers in eastern Kentucky — the place I call home.
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