Covering the Supremes
(Writer's note: I am an international student at the Indiana University School of Journalism. After studying the Foundation of the Press and the Constitution in fall 2008, I wanted to learn more about legal writing. Hence, I enrolled in Reporting the Law for the spring semester, which comprises practical training in writing legal stories and a trip to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. This three-day trip in April and gave me hands-on reporting experience at the Supreme Court.)
Having studied the case briefs, opinions and the Supreme Court in depth, I was prepared to cover the highest legal authority in the U.S. in mid-April for my Reporting the Law course. Nine students, including me, and IU School of Journalism associate professor Anthony Fargo geared up for this intense reporting trip to Washington D.C. The case coverage was published in Indystar blogs, the Indianapolis Star's official blog. (Click here to read coverage by Anandwala and fellow students.)
Photo by Riya V. Anandwala
Savana Redding, plaintiff in Stafford v. Redding, meeting with reporters in Washington, D.C.
Coming from the financial capital of India, Mumbai, I covered the business, general and entertainment beat for various newspapers. With the experience of one legal story in my portfolio, I decided to take this course because of its intensity.
Excited to learn more about the Supreme Court than what I studied inside four walls of my classroom, I spent days preparing myself for the trip. Students were paired in groups of twos and threes, with cases assigned according to their preference. Our group was covering four cases lined up from April 20 to 22, Iraq v. Beaty, Stafford v. Redding, Horne v. Flores and Ricci v. Destefano.
I, along with my teammates, opted for a controversial case: Stafford v. Redding. The case involved a 13-year old girl who had been strip-searched by school professionals as she was suspected of carrying prescription-strength ibuprofen. This was a challenging case to write about, as most of the facts were sensitive. Hence, our journalistic efficiency was put to test as it involved an art of presenting the facts in a manner that would not offend the ones involved with this case as well as the readers.
Listening to the oral arguments was the most exciting part of the trip. It was interesting to know how the attorneys fielded questions asked by the justices. The judges whom we studied for months attracted a lot of attention from us, as we were in awe of their overpowering personalities.
As this was an excellent reporting opportunity, it was also a platform for a fledging photojournalist to capture the scene outside the court. I had the chance to capture the attorneys speak, standing knee to knee with media bigwigs. We had the opportunity to sit amongst correspondents from AP, CNN, Bloomberg and the like. One of the best learning experiences was standing amidst this experienced group of correspondents and noting them throw questions at the attorneys, petitioners and respondents.
But while I had these myriad opportunities, the most challenging bit was to immediately ride the Metro after covering the case and reach our hotel room, where we would write the story on a strict deadline.
"The students worked hard and were very professional in covering the Supreme Court," Fargo said. "I hope that they learned a lot about the challenges and rewards of covering an important but secretive institution like the court."
Another highlight of the trip was visiting IU alumni at Politico.com and Associated Press, Washington bureau. With the dwindling job market, both media houses had positive news for us. Bill Nichols, managing editor at Politico.com said, "Unlike most newspapers, we are hiring!" While Shawn Chen, online news editor at the Associated Press, emphasized multi-tasking in multimedia, reporting and editing in order to lay one's hands on a better job today.
Chen assured me that chances of international students getting hired are higher because of their broader perspectives.
This was one of best reporting assignment I have had to date. I was face to face with the American working environment that I had not experienced fully to that time; I look forward to many such opportunities at IU.
(Editor's note: On the next to the last day of the 2008-2009 of the Supreme Court session, the court ruled 8-1 June 25 that that school officials violated Savana Redding's constitutional rights against unreasonable search or seizure.)
