“I tell students, ‘I’m gonna take you to cover something and it’s gonna be fly by the seat of your pants,’” says Christina Bellantoni, professor of professional practice and director of USC Annenberg’s Media Center. In her “Government and Public Affairs Reporting course,” Bellantoni brings students straight into the action of presidential, House and Senate races. From day one, they’re interviewing voters, analyzing polling and reporting on campaigns that shape the future of American democracy.

Vincent Demonte, Siara Carpenter and Michael Kittilson were in the classes that hit the ground in Iowa, South Carolina, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona in 2024. They chased candidates, interviewed members of Congress, and published stories alongside seasoned reporters. Spot news assignments and feature-length projects challenged them to master deadlines while uncovering the deeper forces driving elections.

What makes this opportunity even more unique: all travel expenses are fully covered thanks to the support of the R. Rebecca and Elizabeth Donatelli Family Endowment along with generous alumni, parents, and friends of the school. This backing ensures every student in the class can take part in these firsthand reporting experiences, regardless of financial circumstances.

Communication alumna Julia Cherner, now a segment producer for ABC News’ This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and Lauren Teruya, a content specialist at Hawaii News Now and a journalism progressive degree graduate, trace their success back to the course and covering the 2020 presidential race in Iowa. They say JOUR 448 gave them the skills, persistence and adaptability to thrive in high-pressure newsrooms.

By combining classroom rigor with real-world access, the immersive course gives students something few journalism schools can offer: the chance to cover democracy as it unfolds, shoulder-to-shoulder with national reporters, and to tell stories that shape how voters — and history — remember an election.