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Hebdos journalist has front row seat to U.S. history
par Kristina EdsonVoir tous les articles de Kristina Edson
Article mis en ligne le 7 novembre 2008 à 15:42
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(Mélanie election 3) People expressed themselves in many ways.
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Hebdos journalist has front row seat to U.S. history
What was it like to be a fly on the wall as the United States elected its first African American president?
Mélanie Meloche-Holubowski knows first hand.
Mélanie Meloche-Holubowski knows first hand.
More used to covering the news than being the news, Meloche-Holubowski, a journalist for L'Étoile and Première Édition, was nevertheless situated at a new ground zero in New York City last Tuesday when Americans made history during their 2008 presidential election.
“I’m just exhausted right now,” she said on Thursday, hours after returning from a whirlwind trip to the U.S.
Meloche-Holubowski, 26, had been selected along with 23 other people from Montreal, Gatineau and Ottawa to travel to New York City for Election Day.
The contingent was chosen by Carrefour international de la presse universitaire francophone, an organization which mounts such experiences for students or recent graduates from francophone newspapers across the world.
“The point was to be there and to cover what we wanted,” Meloche-Holubowski said. Some journalists concentrated on racial and political issues and others on economy and health care.
Her first idea, to delve into if the U.S. economy had been affected by the election, did not pan out as most Wall Street executives were too busy to speak with reporters.
Her other idea, to cover the commercialization of the election, was a huge hit.
“It was election fever everywhere we went. You could buy t-shirts, mugs, buttons, hats, even condoms with the candidates on them!” Meloche-Holubowski laughed.
“I’m just exhausted right now,” she said on Thursday, hours after returning from a whirlwind trip to the U.S.
Meloche-Holubowski, 26, had been selected along with 23 other people from Montreal, Gatineau and Ottawa to travel to New York City for Election Day.
The contingent was chosen by Carrefour international de la presse universitaire francophone, an organization which mounts such experiences for students or recent graduates from francophone newspapers across the world.
“The point was to be there and to cover what we wanted,” Meloche-Holubowski said. Some journalists concentrated on racial and political issues and others on economy and health care.
Her first idea, to delve into if the U.S. economy had been affected by the election, did not pan out as most Wall Street executives were too busy to speak with reporters.
Her other idea, to cover the commercialization of the election, was a huge hit.
“It was election fever everywhere we went. You could buy t-shirts, mugs, buttons, hats, even condoms with the candidates on them!” Meloche-Holubowski laughed.
The calm before the storm
The day before the election was surprisingly quiet, said Meloche-Holubowski.
That was not the case the next day, however.
“It was crazy, crazy, crazy!” she exclaimed.
Up and running by 7:30 a.m., Meloche-Holubowski paired-up with three reporters and photographers to document the day.
They first hit a voting station near 106 street and Central Park West, where a downed voting machine meant those that had been in line since 6:00 a.m. had to be patient.
“I spoke with a lady in her 80’s, a Broadway dancer in her time. She said to me, ‘I’m voting for Obama. I can’t vote for Sara Palin.’ ”
Other stops included the Republican Headquarters for New York City, which Meloche-Holubowski says was quiet.
The contingent of Canadian reporters criss-crossed the city, going from uptown to downtown, and from Central Park to Time Square, Union Square and Rockefeller Center.
The day before the election was surprisingly quiet, said Meloche-Holubowski.
That was not the case the next day, however.
“It was crazy, crazy, crazy!” she exclaimed.
Up and running by 7:30 a.m., Meloche-Holubowski paired-up with three reporters and photographers to document the day.
They first hit a voting station near 106 street and Central Park West, where a downed voting machine meant those that had been in line since 6:00 a.m. had to be patient.
“I spoke with a lady in her 80’s, a Broadway dancer in her time. She said to me, ‘I’m voting for Obama. I can’t vote for Sara Palin.’ ”
Other stops included the Republican Headquarters for New York City, which Meloche-Holubowski says was quiet.
The contingent of Canadian reporters criss-crossed the city, going from uptown to downtown, and from Central Park to Time Square, Union Square and Rockefeller Center.
Watching history unfold
It was at the latter location that they experienced firsthand the ground swell of emotion when Barack Obama was declared victorious.
“It was incredible, electrifying. There were so many people you could not move at all. There were four giant screens (televisions) with continuous updates… (When they declared Obama the winner) the crowd went wild. People were screaming, crying, dancing, jumping… it was incredible. I’m still getting shivers thinking about it,” she said.
Not wanting to miss a moment, Meloche-Holubowski rushed to the Democratic Party’s headquarters at the Sheraton Hotel, where she watched 2,000 people celebrate.
But “you could have heard a pin drop when Obama gave his speech (on T.V.),” she said.
From there the group of reporters went to Time Square.
Busy at the best of times, the post-election jubilee rivalled even New York City’s famed New Years Eve crowds.
Occupied with recording the momentous events, Meloche-Holubowski said she only stopped to consider her own placement to history unfolding when a woman she interviewed compared the election win to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“And I was there covering it,” Meloche-Holubowski said.
Asked if she’s ready to cover the upcoming provincial election here and if it might be a let down after her New York experience, she said with a laugh: “I’m not expecting much from that.”
It was at the latter location that they experienced firsthand the ground swell of emotion when Barack Obama was declared victorious.
“It was incredible, electrifying. There were so many people you could not move at all. There were four giant screens (televisions) with continuous updates… (When they declared Obama the winner) the crowd went wild. People were screaming, crying, dancing, jumping… it was incredible. I’m still getting shivers thinking about it,” she said.
Not wanting to miss a moment, Meloche-Holubowski rushed to the Democratic Party’s headquarters at the Sheraton Hotel, where she watched 2,000 people celebrate.
But “you could have heard a pin drop when Obama gave his speech (on T.V.),” she said.
From there the group of reporters went to Time Square.
Busy at the best of times, the post-election jubilee rivalled even New York City’s famed New Years Eve crowds.
Occupied with recording the momentous events, Meloche-Holubowski said she only stopped to consider her own placement to history unfolding when a woman she interviewed compared the election win to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“And I was there covering it,” Meloche-Holubowski said.
Asked if she’s ready to cover the upcoming provincial election here and if it might be a let down after her New York experience, she said with a laugh: “I’m not expecting much from that.”
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